UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT   LOS  ANGELES 


GENERAL    HISTORY 


OF    T«E 


BAPTIST  DENOMINATION 


IN 


A  M  E  R  I  C  A, 


AND  OTHER  PARTS  OF  THE  WORLD, 


BY  DAVID  BENEDICT,  A.  IYI. 

ASTOR  OF   THE   BAPTIST   CHURCH    IN   PAVTTVCKET,    R.  I 


An<1  he  said  nnto  thpm,  Co  ye  into  all  the  wofld,  rind  pnvicli  the  ^o<?pcl  to  crr:« 
creature.  HE  THAT  BEI'.IEVETH  AND  is  BAPTISED,  fli-ill  l>o  saved;  but 
he  that  hclieveth  not,  shall  he  damned Mark  xvi.  15,  16. 

And  the  CUM.,  •   .    tw>rc  ia  water,  wh«t  doth  hinder  me  to  he  baptized  ? 

Jfthoo  belieyc-.t  «ith  alt  um..  .  „  j;— —e  thai  Jesus  Ch,-,s« 

!^stft=a;  rdBbve^&  ^ 

COMF.   VP    OUT  OF  THE  WATER,  feCC 


TV.'O    VOLUMES. 

VOL.  II. 


BOSTON: 

BT    MANNING    &    LORING,    HO.    2?    CORNHII.t., 

TOR   THE  AUTHOR. 
18)3.. 


GENERAL  HISTORY,  &d 


CHAP.  I. 

A  HISTORY  OF  THE  BAPTISTS  IN  DELAWARE. 

DELAWARE  became  an  independent  State  in  1 776 ; 
it  contains  three  little  counties,  Newcastle,  Kent,  and 
Sussex  ;  in  the  first  there  was  a  Baptist  society  as  early 
as  1703  ;  they  settled  near  Iron  Hill ;  from  them,  their 
sentiments  took  a  spread  northward,  as  far  as  Loudon 
Tract,  in  Pennsylvania  ;  northeast,  to  Wilmington  ;  east, 
to  Bethel ;  west,  to  Elk  river,  in  Maryland  ;  southward, 
to  Duck  creek  in  this  State ;  and  to  the  Pedee  river  in 
South-Carolina. 

This  society  was  from  Wales,  and  about  the  year 
1733,  eight  or  ten  families  more,  from  the  same  country, 
made  a  settlement  at  Duck  creek,  in  Kent  county,  from 
whence  their  sentiments  spread  to  Cowmarsh,  and  Mis- 
pillion,  and  to  Georgetown  in  Maryland. 

About  the  year  1788,  Elijah  Baker  and  Philip 
Hughes,  who  had  been  labouring  on  the  eastern  shore  of 
the  Chesapeak  Bay,  in  Maryland  and  Virginia,  came  to 
the  county  of  Sussex,  and  made  many  proselytes,  and 
planted  two  or  three  churches. 

Delaware,  at  present,  contains  seven  or  eight  church- 
es, and  one  small  association,  which  bears  the  name  o£ 
the  State, 

A 


1  Welsh  Tract  Church. 

The  histories  of  three  of  the  churches,  viz.  Welsh 
Tract,  Duck  Creek  or  Brynsion,  and  Wilmington,  \\ili 
be  related. 

The  Welsh  Tract  church  is  thus  distinguished  fronra 
large  tract  of  land  of  the  same  name,  surrounding  the 
place  of  worship  in  Pencader,  county  of  New-Castle. 
The  house  is  a  neat  brick  building,  4O  feet  by  3O ;  it 
\vaserected  in  174-6',  and  is  situated  42  miles,  in  a  south- 
western direction  from  Philadelphia. 

To  come  to  the  history  of  this  church,  \ve  must  cross 
the  Atlantic  and  land  in  Wales,  where  it  had  its  begin- 
ning in  the  following  manner.  "  In  the  spring  of  the 
year  1701,  several  Baptists,  in  the  counties  of  Pembroke 
and  Caermarthen,  resolved  to  go  to  America  ;  and  as  one 
of  the  company,  Thomas  Griffith,  was  a  minister,  they 
were  advised  to  be  constituted  a  church  ;  they  took  the 
advice ;  the  instrument  of  their  confederation  was  in 
being  in  1770,  but  is  now  lost  or  mislaid  ;  the  names  of 
the  confederates  follow  :  Thomas  Griffith,  Griffith  Nich- 
olas, Evan  Edmond,  John  Edward,  Elisha  Thomas,  Enoch 
r  rgan,  Richard  David,  James  David,  Elizabeth  Grif- 
hc^,  Lewis  Edmond,  Mary  John,  Mary  Thomas,  Eliza- 
beth Griffith,  Tennet  David,  Margaret  Mathias,  Tennet 
Morris  ;  these  sixteen  persons,  which  may  be  styled  a 
church  emigrant^  met  at  Milfordhaven  in  the  month  of 
June,  1701,  embarked  on  board  the  good  ship  William 
and  Mary  ;  and  on  the  8th  of  September  following, 
landed  at  Philadelphia.  The  brethren  there  treated  them 
courteously,  and  advised  them  to  settle  about  Penne- 
pek  ;  thither  they  went,  and  there  continued  about  a  year 
and  a  half;  during  which  time  their  church  increased 
from  1 6  to  37.  But  finding  it  inconvenient  to  tarry 
about  Pennepek",  they,  in  1 703,  took  up  land  in  New- 
Castle  county,  from  Messrs.  Evans,  Davis,  and  Willis, 
(who  had  purchased  said  Welsh  Tract  from  William 
Penn,  containing  upwards  of  30,000  acres)  and  thither 
removed  the  same  year,  and  built  a  little  meeting-house 
on  the  spot  where  the  present  stands/' 

This  removal  left  some  of  their  members  near  Penne- 
pek, and  took  some  of  the  Pennepek  members  to  Welsh 
Tract,  yet  neither  would  commune  with  their  neigh- 
bours, on  account  of  a  difference  about  laying-on-of-bands ; 


Dispirte  respecting  Lay  ing-on-of -bands.  5 

for  the  church  of  Pennepek  had  grown  indifferent  about 
the  rite  ;  but  that  at  Welsh  Tract  deemed  it  a  pre-req;'.i- 
site  to  the  communion  of  saints.  To  remedy  this  in- 
convenience, the  churches  appointed  deputies,  to  the 
number  of  twenty-four  from  both,  to  compromise  mat- 
ters as  \\  ell  as  they  could ;  who  met  for  the  purpose, 
June  22,  17<)6.  The  following  history,  translated  from 
the  Welsh  Tract  church-book,  will  give  the  reader  a 
view  of  this  whole  transaction,  and  the  happy  termina- 
tion of  these  disputes. 

"  We  could  not  be  in  fellowship,  at  the  Lord's  Table, 
with  our  brethren  in  Pennepek  and  Philadelphia,  be- 
cause they  did  not  hold  to  the  laying-on-of-hands,  and  some 
other  particulars*  relating  to  a  church  :  true,  some  of 
them  believed  in  the  ordinance,  but  neither  preached  it 
up,  nor  practised  it ;  and  when  we  moved  to  Welsh 
Tract,  and  left  twenty-two  of  our  members  at  Penne- 
pek, and  took  some  of  their  members  down  with  us, 
the  difficulty  increased  :  we  had  many  meetings  in  or- 
der to  compromise  matters,  but  to  no  purpose  till  June 
22,  1706  :  then  the  deputies,  who  had  been  appoir  t  ' 
for  the  purpose,  met  at  the  house  of  brother  Ricl  .^d. 
Miles,  in  Radnor,  and  agreed,  that  a  member  in  either 
church  might  transiently  commune  with  the  other; 
that  a  member  who  desired  to  come  under  the  laylng-on- 
of'hands)  might  have  his  liberty  without  offence  ;  that 
the  votaries  of  the  right  might  preach  or  debate  upon, 
the  subject  with  all  freedom,  consistent  with  brotherly 
love.  But  three  years  after  this  meeting,  we  had  rea- 
son to  review  this  transaction,  because  of  some  breth- 
ren, who  arrived  from  Wales,  and  one,  among  ourselves, 
who  questions  whether  the  first  article  was  warrantable. 
But  we  are  satisfied  that  all  was  right,  by  the  good  ef- 
fects which  followed  ;  for  from  that  time  forth,  our 
brethren  held  sweet  communion  together  at  the  Lord's 
Table  ;  and  our  minister!  was  invited  to  preach  and  as- 
sist at  an  ordination  at  Pennepek,  after  the  death  of  our 
brother  Watts.  He  proceeded  from  thence  to  the  Jer- 
sey, where  he  enlightened  many  in  the  good  ways  of  the 

*  Some  of  those  particulars  are  said  to  have  been  church  covenajpV2- 
ruling  elder*,  5;c. 

t  Thomas  Griffith, 


Tract  Church. 

Lord,  insomuch  that  in  three  years  after,  all  the  minis- 
ters, and  about  fifty-five  private  members  had  submitted 
to  the  ordinance." 

The  Welsh  Tract  church  was  the  principal,  if  not  the 
sole  means  of  introducing  singing,  imposition  of  hands, 
church  covenants,  &c.  among  the  Baptists  in  the  middle 
States.  The  Century  Confession  was  in  America,  before 
the  year  1 7 1 6,  but  without  the  articles  which  relate  to 
these  subjects ;  that  year  they  were  inserted  by  Rev. 
Abel  Morgan,  who  translated  the  confession  to  Welsh, 
about  which  time  it  was  signed  by  one  hundred  twenty- 
t\vo  members  of  this  church.  These  articles  were  in- 
serted in  the  next  English  edition,  and  adopted  with  the 
other  articles  by  the  Philadelphia  Association  in  1742. 

The  pulpit  of  this  church  was  filled  by  great  and  good 
IIKM  uf  Welsh  extraction,  for  about  7O  years. 

The  first  minister  was  Thomas  Griffith,  who  emigrat- 
ed with  the  church.  All  we  can  learn  of  him,  is,  that  he 
was  born  in  Lauvernach  parish,  in  the  county  of  Pem- 
broke, in  1 645,  and  after  faithfully  serving  this  church 
twenty-four  years,  died  at  Pennepek,  July  25,  1725. 

Mr.  Griffith  was  succeeded  by  Elisha  Thomas,  who 
was  born  in  the  county  of  Caermarthen,  in  1674.  He 
emigrated  from  Wales  with  the  church  whereof  he  was 
one  of  the  first  members,  and  died,  November  7,  173O, 
and  was  buried  in  this  church-yard,  where  a  handsome 
tomb  is  erected  to  his  memory  :  the  top-stone  is  divided 
into  several  compartments,  wherein  open  books  are 
raised,  with  inscriptions  and  poetry  both  in  Welsh  and 
English. 

Mr.  ThomaVs  successor  was  Enoch  Morgan.  He  was 
brother  to  Abel  Morgan,  author  of  the  Welsh  Concor- 
dance. Their  father  was  Morgan  Ryddarch,  a  famous 
Baptist  minister  in  Wales  ;  but  it  was  a  common  thing, 
in  that  country,  for  the  children  to  take  the  personal 
name  of  their  father  instead  of  the  sirname,  only  joining 
to  it  the  names  of  their  progenitors,  by  a  string  of  aps* 
Mr.  Morgan  was  born  in  1676,  at  a  place  called  Allt 
gach,  in  the  parish  of  Lanwenrog,  in  the  county  of  Car- 


uther's 


Welsh  Tract  Church.  7 

digan.  He  arrived  in  America  with  the  Welsh  Tract 
church,  whereof  he  was  one  of  the  constituents  ;  he  took 
on  him  the  care  of  the  church  at  Mr.  Thomas's  decease, 
and  died  in  174O,  and  was  buried  in  this  grave-yard, 
where  a  tomb  is  erected  to  his  memory. 

The  next  pastor  of  this  church  was  Owen  Thomas. 
He  was  born  in  1676,  at  a  place  called  Gwrgodllys,  in 
Cilmanllwyd,  and  county  of  Pembroke.  He  came  to 
America  in  1 707 ;  took  the  pastoral  care  of  the  church 
at  Mr.  Morgan's  death,  in  which  office  he  continued  un- 
til 1748,  when  he  resigned  it,  to  go  to  Yellow  Springs, 
where  he  died,  November  12,  176O.  Mr.  Thomas  left 
behind  him  the  following  remarkable  note  ;  "  I  have 
been  called  upon  three  times  to  anoint  the  sick  with  oil 
for  recovery ;  the  effect  was  surprising  in  every  case, 
but  in  none  more  so,  than  in  the  case  of  our  brother 
Rynallt  Howel :  he  was  so  sore  with  the  bruises  which 
he  received  by  a  cask  falling  on  him  from  a  waggon, 
that  he  could  not  bear  to  be  turned  in  bed  :  the  next 
day  he  went  to  meeting.5' 

The  next  in  office  here  was  David  Davis.  He  was 
born  in  the  parish  of  Whitechurch,  and  county  of  Pem- 
broke, in  the  year  1708,  and  came  to  America  when  a 
child,  in  1710 ;  was  ordained  in  this  church  in  1734,  at 
which  time  he  became  its  pastor ;  he  continued  in  this 
office  35  years,  viz.  until  1769,  when  he  died.  He  was 
an  excellent  man,  and  is  held  dear  in  remembrance  by 
all  who  knew  him.  Two  of  his  sons  were  preachers. 
Jonathan  was  a  seventh-day  Baptist,  and  John  was  some 
time  pastor  of  the  2d  Baptist  church  in  Boston,  Mass. 

Thus  it  appears,  that  hitherto  the  pastors  of  this 
church  were  all  Welshmen.  Those  who  have  succeed- 
ed were  native  Americans,  and  the  first  was  John  Sut- 
ton,  whose  biography  may  be  found  in  the  history  of 
the  Emancipating  Baptists,  in  Kentucky.  He  took  on 
him  the  oversight  of  this  church  in  1770,  and  resigned 
it  in  1777,  to  go  to  Virginia. 

The  next  to  him  was  John  Boggs,  who  was  ordained 
to  the  pastoral  office  here  in  1781.  He  was  born  in 
East-Nottingham,  in  1741  ;  was  bred  a  Presbyterian, 
but  embraced  the  Baptist  sentiments  in  1771.  He  died 
at  Welsh  Tract,  of  a  paralytick  stroke,  in  1802,  and  was 


8  Duck  Creek  or  Brymlon. 

succeeded  by  Gideon  Ferrell,  the  present  pastor.  Mr. 
Ferrell  is  a  native  of  Maryland,  and  was  born  in  Talbot. 
county,  in  1763.  He  was  bred  a  Quaker,  but  was  bap- 
tized by  Philip  Hughes,  in  1770.  As  Mr.  Boggs,  his 
predecessor,  was  much  inclined  to  itinerate  in  the  sur- 
rounding country,  for  which  employment  he  was  well 
qualified,  Mr.  Ferrell  had  preached  for  the  church  once. 
a  month,  and  sometimes  oftener,  for  the  space  of  about 
seven  years,  before  he  was  invested  with  the  pastoral 
care  of  it. 

The  Welsh  Tract  church  is  very  handsomely  endow- 
ed ;  for  after  all  the  casualties  which  have  befallen  its 
temporalities,  it  has  about  thirteen  hundred  and  thirty 
dollars  in  funds,  at  interest,  and  a  lot  of  six  acres,  on 
which  the  meeting-house  stands,  and  a  plantation,  the 
bequest  of  Hugh  Morris,  on  which  its  pastor  resides. 

This  church  is  the  oldest  in  the  State,  and  has  now  ex- 
isted upwards  of  KJO  years.  It  has  been  the  mother  of 
the  Welsh  Neck  church  in  South-Carolina,  the  London 
Tract,  the  Duck  Creek  or  Brynsion,  and,  in  some  meas^ 
lire,  of  Wilmington,  Co\vmarsh,  and  Mispillion,  and 
was  one  of  the  five  churches  which  formed  the  Phila- 
delphia Association,  in  1707. 

DUCK-CREEK    OR    BRYNSION. 

THIS  church,  which  was  formerly  distinguished  by  the 
first  name,  but  now  altogether  by  the  latter,  is  situated 
about  7O  miles  to  the  south-west  of  Philadelphia.  The 
meeting-house  was  built  of  brick  in  177],  on  a  lot  of 
one  acre,  the  gift  of  John  and  Philemon  Dickinson. 

The  tract  of  land  which  was  called  Duck  Creek  Hun- 
dred, was  settled  in  the  year  1733,  by  a  number  of 
Welsh  families,  some  of  the  Independent  and  some  of 
the  Baptist  denominations.  The  Independents  built  a 
meeting-house  on  the  lot  where  the  Baptist  house  now 
stands,  and  called  it  Brynsion,  viz.  Mount-Sion.  They 
had  divine  service  performed  in  it  by  Presbyterian  min- 
isters, viz.  Rev.  Messrs.  Thomas  Evans,  Rces  Lewis, 
David  Jenison,  &c.  But  in  process  of  time  this  Inde- 
pendent society  dwindled  away,  partly  by  deaths,  and 
partly  by  emigrations  j  and  the  Baptists  made  use  cf 


Wilmington  Church.  9 

their  house  while  it  stood.  The  Independents  neglect- 
ed  to  have  the  lot  conveyed  over  to  them ;  for  which 
reason  it  reverted  to  the  Dickinsons,  and  continued  in 
their  hands,  till  conveyed  to  the  Baptists  at  the  time 
above  specified. 

The  Baptists  who  settled  here  were  about  8  or  1O. 
The  names  of  the  heads  of  them  follow,  viz.  James  Hy- 
att, Nathaniel  Wild,  David  Evan,  Evan  Rees,  David 
ReeSj  James  Howel,  Evan  David  Hugh,  Joshua  Edwards, 
&c.  This  last  was  an  exhorter  among  them,  until  he 
went  to  Pedee,  in  South-Carolina.  These  Baptists  emi- 
grated hither,  chiefly  from  Pencader,  in  Newcastle  coun- 
ty, and  were  members  of  Welsh  Tract  church.  In  May 
1 8,  i  735,  Rev.  Hugh  Davis,  of  the  Great  Valley,  preach- 
ed to  them  at  Brynsion  meeting-house  ;  otherwise  they 
held  their  worship  at  the  house  of  James  Hyatt.  In 
September  18,  1737,  Rev.  David  Davis,  of  Welsh  Tract, 
administered  ordinances  here  ;  worship  was  then  held 
at  the  house  of  Evan  David  Hugh  ;  in  1 749,  Rev.  Grif- 
fith Jones  settled  at  Duck  Creek,  and  continued  among 
these  people  to  his  death,  in  1757.  In  the  spring  of 
1766,  Rev.  William  Davis,  from  New-Britain,  settled 
here  ;  but  he  Jied  the  25th  of  September  following. 
After  him,  Rev.  Messrs.  David  Davis,  John  Sutton,  John 
Boggs,  &c.  ministered  to  them,  till  their  number  increas- 
ed to  thirty.  Then  they  petitioned  Welsh  Tract  for 
leave  to  become  a  distinct  church.  These  thirty  persons 
were  constituted  a  church  by  Messrs.  Boggs  and  Flee-- 
son,  November  24,  1781  ;  and  in  1786  were  received 
into  the  Association  of  Philadelphia. 

The  ministers  who  officiated  at  Duck  Creek,  while  it 
was  a  branch  of  Welsh  Tract,  have  already  been  men- 
tioned. The  first  pastor,  which  it  had  after  it  became 
a  separate  church,  was  Eliphaz  Dazey,  who  continued 
with  them  a  short  time,  and  then  resigned,  and  was 
succeeded  by  James  .Jones,  their  present  pastor. 

WILMINGTON. 

THIS  church  is  of  later  date  than  some  other  churches 
in  Delaware,  which  are  at  present  less  distinguished, 
VOL.  2.'  2 


10  Wilmington  Church. 

There  were  a  number  of  individuals  in  this  town  for 
about  twenty  years  before  the  denomination  began 
much  to  flourish  and  prevail. 

About  the  year  1769,  Baptist  ministers  began  to 
preach  in  Wilmington,  in  a  transient  way,  but  without 
any  apparent  success  ;  and  the  few  members  began  to 
despair  of  seeing  a  church  arise  in  the  town.  And  the 
iirst  time  that  a  prospect  opened  to  the  contrary,  was  in 
1782,  when  Rev.  Philip  Hughes  came  to  print  a  volume 
of  hymns.  He  preached  here,  and  gained  some  attention. 
In  the  month  of  April  following,  Mr.  Thomas  Ainger 
and  family  settled  in  the  town  ;  he  was  a  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  church  in  Philadelphia,  but  his  wife  a. 
professed  Baptist ;  he  constantly  maintained  family  wor- 
ship without  any  uncommon  effect  for  a  time.  One 
Lord's-day  evening,  he  read  the  20th  chapter  of  Reve- 
lation, and  found  a  strong  impulse  to  comment  upon  it, 
particularly  on  the  12th  verse.  This  diffused  serious- 
ness through  the  family,  and  laid  a  foundation  for  a  re- 
ligious society,  in  which  good  was  done.  Two  of  his 
apprentices  and  some  others,  attribute  their  conversion 
to  this  society.  It  quickened  four  more,  who  had  been 
converted  long  before  ;  these  were  baptized  by  Rev. 
John  Boggs,  May  25,  1784;  their  names  were  Thomas 
Ainger,  Rachel  Ainger,  Noah  Cross,  and  Mrs. Fer- 
ries. The  same  year,  1784,  Rev.  P.  Hughes  came  to 
town  to  print  his  book  on  baptism,  which  detained  him 
near  two  months  ;  he  preached  all  the  while,  sometimes 
at  a  Presbyterian  meeting-house,  and  sometimes  at  the 
town  school-house,  which  collected  many  hearers.  By 
him  were  baptized  four  persons  who  had  been  awaken- 
ed at  the  said  society,  viz.  Robert  Smith,  John  Red- 
man, James  M'Laughlin,  and  Henry  Walker.  Messrs. 
Fleeson  and  Boggs  continued  to  visit  the  place  alternate- 
ly every  week.  More  were  baptized  by  them,  inso- 
much that  a  sufficient  number  of  materials  for  a  church 
were  soon  prepared,  and  in  October,  1785,  Messrs, 
Fleeson  and  Boggs,  with  Abel  Griffith  and  Eliphaz  Da~ 
tey,  met  and  gave  them  fellowship  as  a  Gospel  Church. 
The  names  of  the  constituents  were,  Thomas  Ainger, 
James  M'Laughlin,  Thomas  Williams,  Henry  Walker, 
Joseph  Tomlinson,  John  Redman,  Robert  Smith,  John 


Wilmington  Church.  1 1 

M'Kim,  Curtis  Gilbert,  Sarah  Stow,  Elizabeth  Hopkins, 
Mary  Mattson  ;  to  these  twelve,  must  be  added  four 
more  ;  who  had  been  baptized  elsewhere,  viz.  John  Stow, 
Elizabeth  Way,  Thomas  Stow,  Abigail  Ainger.  The 
church  was  received  into  the  Association  of  Philadelphia, 
the  year  following. 

Thomas  Ainger,  who  began  the  domestic  meetings  al- 
ready mentioned,  commenced  preaching  in  this  church 
the  next  year  after  it  was  constituted,  and  was  ordained 
the  pastor  of  it  in  1 788,  by  Dr.  Samuel  Jones,  David 
Jones,  and  Eliphaz  Dazey.  This  office  he  filled  with  re- 
putation, until  his  death,  which  happened  in  1797. 

For  a  few  years  after  Mr.  Ainger's  death,  the  church 
was  supplied  by  the  occasional  labours  of  Mr.  John 
Boggs,  sen.  Gideon  Ferrel,  John  Ellis,  and  Joseph  Flood. 
Mr.  Flood  did,  indeed,,  exercise  the  pastoral  care  of  it, 
for  a  short  time,  when  he  was  excluded  for  immoral 
conduct,  and  afterwards  went  to  Norfolk,  in  Virginia, 
and  was  the  cause  of  much  evil  and  confusion.  But  dur- 
ing the  ministry  of  Mr.  Flood,  notwithstanding  the 
blemishes  of  his  character,  there  was  a  very  considerable 
revival,  and  many  were  added  to  the  church. 

After  remaining  in  a  measure  destitute  for  about  five 
years,  this  church  had  the  happiness  to  settle,  for  its  pas- 
tor, Rev.  Daniel  Dodge,  under  whose  ministry  they 
have  been  prosperous  and  happy. 

Mr.  Dodge,  whose  father  was  a  native  of  Ipswich,  in 
Massachusetts,  was  born  in  Annapolis  Royal,  Nova-Sco- 
tia, in  1775  ;  but  the  most  of  his  days  have  been  spent 
in  the  United  States.  He  professed  religion  at  the  age 
of  18,  and  united  with  the  church  in  Woodstock,  Ver- 
mont, then  under  the  pastoral  care  of  Elder  Elisha  Ran- 
som. In  1797,  he  went  to  Baltimore,  and  preached  in 
various  places  in  Maryland  and  Virginia,  before  he  set- 
tled in  Wilmington. 

Mr.  Dodge  has  baptized  1 15  perons,  who  have  united 
with  this  church  since  he  became  its  pastor.  The  sisters 
of  this  church  collected  in  about  twelve  months  up- 
wards of  three  hundred  dollars  towards  paying  the  ex- 
pense of  finishing  the  meeting-house. 


12  Baptist*  in  Maryland. 

CHAP.  II. 


MARYLAND. 

THIS  State  was  at  first  settled  by  Roman  Catholics, 
who  are  still  considerably  numerous  in  it  ;  but  as  the 
government  gave  free  toleration  to  all  religious  sects,  in 
process  of  time  it  was  settled  by  protestants  of  various 
denominations,  and  among  them  were  some  Baptists, 
the  most  noted  of  whom  wras  Henry  Sator,  who  remov- 
ed hither  from  England  about  the  year  1 709,  and  set' 
tied  in  the  northern  parts  near  Chesnut  Ridge.  Soon 
after  his  settlement,  he  invited  Baptist  ministers  to 
preach  in  his  house,  by  which  means  a  number  were, 
from  time  to  time,  proselyted  to  his  sentiments,  and  af- 
ter many  years,  a  church  was.formed  in  his  neighbour- 
hood. 

The  Baptists  gained  ground  but  slowly  in  Maryland, 
for  more  than  half  a  century,  after  the  first  emigrants 
arrived  here  ;  and,  indeed,  there  is  now  the  smallest 
number  of  the  denomination  in  this  State  of  any  in  the 
Union,  except  that  of  Delaware.  In  1772,*  except  the 
Tunkers  and  Mennonists,  it  contained  but  two  Baptist 
churches,  and  both  of  these  were  in  the  county  of  Balti- 
more, one  of  which  were,  in  their  doctrinal  sentiments, 
General,  and  the  other  Particular  Baptists  ;  the  former 
had  for  its  minister,  though  an  unprofitable  one,  Hen- 
ry Loveall ;  the  other  was  under  the  pastoral  care  of  the 
late  much-respected  John  Davis.  There  were,  howev- 
er, at  this  time,  two  little  societies  of  Baptists  near  the 
Potomack,  which  were  branches  of  churches  in  Virginia. 

In  i7(J4,t  Maryland  contained  17  churches,  in  which 
were  about  950  members.  There  has  been  a  gradual  in- 
crease of  the  denomination  since,  so  that  now,  as  near 
as  can  be  ascertained,  there  are  in  this  State,  two  Asso- 
ciations, viz.  the  Baltimore  and  Salisbury,  about  23 
churches,  and  about  1 2  or  1 40O  communicants. 

The  Methodists  have  had  great  success  in  this  State, 
and  in  it  their  community  is  now  considerably  large. 

*  M,  Echvards's  Materials  towards  a  History  of  the  Baptists  in  Maryland, 
f  Asplund's  Register. 


General  Baptists. — Their  Constitution.  13 

In  178.5,  they  constituted  Cokesbury  College,  at  Ab- 
ington,  Harford  county,  which  was  so  called  in  hon- 
our of  Thomas  Coke  and  Francis  Asbury,  bishops  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  which,  after  existing  a 
few  years,  was  unfortunately  consumed  by  lire,  and  has 
never  been  rebuilt. 

The  commencement  of  the  General  Baptist  church  at 
Chesnut  Ridge,  has  already  been  suggested.  It  appears 
that  George  Eglesfield,  from  Pennsylvania,  was  the  first 
minister  that  Mr.  Sator  obtained  to  preach  in  his  house, 
after  his  settlement  in  Maryland.  After  him,  Paul 
Palmer  came  into  the  neighbourhood,  and  baptized  nine 
persons  ;  he  was  succeeded  by  Henry  Loveall,  who  bap- 
tized forty-eight  more,  and  in  1742  formed  them  into 
a  church,  which,  at  the  time  of  its  constitution,  contain- 
ed 57  members.  The  instrument  of  their  confederation, 
which  is  somewhat  singular,  and  which  was  laid  before 
the  Governor  and  Court  in  1742,  when  the  society  was 
taken  under  the  protection  of  the  toleration  laws,  is  as 
follows : 

"  We,  the  humble  professors  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ, 
baptized  upon  a  declaration  of  faith  and  repentance,  be- 
lieving the  doctrine  of  general  redemption,  (or  the  free 
grace  of  God,  extended  to  all  mankind)  do  hereby  seri- 
ously, heartily,  and  solemnly,  in  the  presence  of  the 
Searcher  of  all  hearts,  and  before  the  world,  covenant, 
agree,  bind,  and  settle  ourselves  into  a  church,  to  hold, 
abide  by,  and  contend  for  the  faith  once  delivered  to 
the  saints,  owned  by  the  best  reformed  churches  in  En- 
gland, Scotland,  and  elsewhere,  especially  as  published 
and  maintained  in  the  forms  and  confessions  of  the  Bap- 
tists in  England  ;  differing  in  nothing  from  the  articles 
of  the  church  of  England  and  Scotland,  except  in  infant 
baptism,  modes  of  church  government,  the  doctrine  of 
absolute  reprobation,  and  some  ceremonies.  We  do  al- 
so bind  ourselves  hereby,  to  defend  and  live  up  to  the 
protestant  religion,  and  abhor  and  oppose  the  whore 
of  Rome,  pope,  and  popery,  with  all  her  anti-christian 
ways.  We  do  also  engage  with  our  lives  and  fortunes, 
to  defend  the  crown  and  dignity  of  our  gracious  sove- 
reign, King  George,  to  him  and  his  issue  for  ever,  and 
*o  obey  all  his  laws,  humbly  submitting  ourselves  to  all 


14  Increase  of  the  General  Baptists. 

in  authority  under  him,  and  giving  custom  to  whom  cus« 
torn,  honour  to  whom  honour,  tribute  to  whom  tribute 
is  due.  We  do  further  declare,  that  we  are  not  against 
taking  oaths,  nor  using  arms  in  defence  of  our  king  and 
country,  when  legally  called  thereto  ;  and  that  we  do 
approve  and  will  obey  the  laws  of  this  province.  And 
further,  we  do  bind  ourselves  to  follow  the  patterns  of 
our  brethren  in  England,  to  maintain  order,  government, 
and  discipline  in  our  church,  especially  that  excellent  di- 
rectory of  Rev.  Francis  Stanley,  entitled  "  The  Gospel's 
Honour,  and  the  Church's  Ornament,"  dedicated  to  the 
churches  in  the  counties  of  Lincoln,  Nottingham,  and 
Cambridge.  We  also  engage,  that  all  persons  upon  join- 
ing our  society,  shall  yield  consent  to  and  subscribe  this 
our  solemn  league  and  covenant.  Subscribed  by  us 
whose  names  are  underwritten,  this  10th  day  of  July, 
1742." 

Mr.  Sator  bore  an  excellent  character,  and  may  be 
considered  not  only  the  founder  of  this  society,  but  of 
the  Baptist  interest  in  Maryland.  His  assistance  in  build- 
ing the  place  of  worship,  and  his  gift  of  land  to  the  min- 
ister, are  mentioned  as  peculiar  marks  of  his  liberality. 

This  church  immediately  increased  very  fast,  and  be- 
gan to  spread  over  the  country,  and  soon  extended  over 
to  Opeckon  and  Ketockton  in  Virginia  ;  insomuch  that 
in  four  years  the  number  of  communicants  amounted; 
to  181. 

Mr.  Loveall  became  the  pastor  of  the  church  at  its  be- 
ginning,  and  continued  still  to  act  in  that  capacity  ;  but 
by  many  accounts,  he  was  a  man  of  great  blemishes  of 
character,  and  his  misconduct  soon  checked  the  growth 
of  the  church  at  Chesnut  Ridge,  and  caused  it  to  dis- 
perse and  dwindle  away.  He  was  a  native  of  Cam- 
bridge, England  ;  came  to  America  when  young  ;  and 
was  baptized  in  New-England  in  1725;  probably  in 
Newport ;  for  it  appears  by  Mr.  John  Comer's  Journal-, 
that  he  was  in  that  town  in  1729,  and  had  then  begun 
to  preach.  And  being  desirous  of  travelling  into  the 
Jerseys,  he,  by  his  request,  received  a  letter  of  introduc- 
tion to  the  churches  there,  signed  by  James  Clark,  Dan- 
iel Wightrnan,  and  John  Comer,  who  certified  that  they 
then  "  knew  nothing,  but  that  his  conduct  and  gonver- 


Particular  Baptists  in  Harford  Couniy.  1 5 

sation  was  agreeable  to  the  Gospel  of  Christ."  But  it 
was  not  long  after  that  he  was  found  to  be  a  man  of  bad 
character,  having  been  guilty  of  some  shameful  acts  of 
uncleanness,  a  sin  which  most  easily  beset  him  ;  and 
that  his  real  name  was  Desolate  Baker.*  He  was  or- 
dained  at  Piscataqua,  New- Jersey,  1730,  but  never  offi- 
ciated there  in  a  pastoral  capacity  ;  for  the  foul  blemish- 
es of  his  character  were  soon  discovered  by  the  church^ 
which  had  been  too  hasty  in  ordaining  him.  After  caus- 
ing much  confusion  at  Piscataqua,  he  came  to  Maryland 
in  1742,  and  the  same  year  became  the  minister  of  the 
church  whose  history  we  are  now  relating.  In  1746, 
he  went  to  Virginia,  and  raised  the  Mill-Creek  church, 
from  which  he  was  shortly  after  excommunicated  for 
his  misconduct,  and  returned  to  Chesnut  Ridge,  where 
he  resided  in  1772,  in  the  78th  year  of  his  age,  an  un- 
happy proof,  that  ministerial  gifts  and  a  good  life  and 
conversation  do  not  always  go  together. 

The  church  of  Particular  Baptists  was  at  first  called 
Winter  Run,  which  appellation  has  since  been  exchanged 
for  Harford,  the  name  of  the  county  in  which  it  is  situat- 
ed. In  1772,  besides  the  main  establishment  at  Winter 
Run,  it  consisted  of  three  other  branches,  one  near  Ches- 
nut Ridge,  which  met  for  worship  in  the  house  belong- 
ing to  the  General  Baptists,  the  second  was  at  Petapsco, 
and  the  third  near  Winchester.  These  branches  have? 
probably,  since  become  distinct  churches,  although  they 
do  not  bear  the  names  which  are  here  given  them.  In 
this  church,  which  was  so  extensive  in  its  bounds,  there 
were,  at  the  date  above  mentioned,  US  communicants. 
It  originated  from  the  General  Baptist  church  at  Ches- 
nut Ridge,  in  the  following  manner  :  About  the  year 
1747,  some  of  the  members  of  that  church,  being  inclrn- 
ed  to  the  sentiments  of  the  Particular  Baptists,  invited 
their  ministers  to  preach  amongst  them;  who  continued 
their  visits  until  fourteen  persons  had  embraced  their- 
sentiments,  and  the*e  were  constituted  into  a  church  in 
1754,  by  the  assistance  of  Benjamin  Griffiths  and  Peter 
P.  Vanhorn,  and  was  the  same  year  received  into  the 
Philadelphia  Association.  It  is  an  old  and  respectable 

*  John  Comer's  D'wry,  a  letter  from  Nathaniel  Jenkins,  to  the  cbrrch  ?.' 
Piscatnqua,  dated  Dec.  1730. 


16  Churches  in  Baltimore,  Taney  Town, 

church,  and  was,  for  upwards  of  5O  years,  under  the 
pastoral  care  of  the  late  venerable  John  Davis.  Mr.  Da- 
vis was  born  in  Pennepeck,  in  Pennsylvania,  Sept.  10, 
1721  ;  was  called  to  the  ministry  and  ordained  at  Mont- 
gomery in  the  same  State,  1756,  and  the  same  year  came 
to  Maryland,  and  took  on  him  the  pastoral  care  of  this 
church,  where  he  continued  until  his  death,  which  hap- 
pened in  1809,  when  he  was  in  the  88th  year  of  his 
age.  He  was  own  cousin  to  the  late  famous  Benjamin 
Francis,  of  England.  All  that  1  can  learn  of  him  is,  that 
he  was  a  man  of  peculiar  piety  and  usefulness,  and  no 
one  who  knew  him,  mentions  his  name  without  affixing 
some  appellation  expressive  of  his  peculiar  excellence. 
When  he  firft  arrived  in  Maryland,  he  was  very  roughly 
treated ;  for  the  people  of  the  neighbourhood,  the  ma- 
gistrates and  the  court,  publickly  affronted  him,  and  used 
indirect  arts  to  drive  him  out  of  the  country ;  but  in 
a  short  time,  the  men  who  were  his  bitterest  enemies 
became  his  affectionate  friends,  and  treated  him  with 
honour  and  respect. 

The  Harford  church  has  been  the  mother  of  a  num- 
ber of  others ;  for  the  churches  which  bear  the  follow- 
ing names,  1st  Baltimore,  Taney  Town,  Gunpowder, 
and  Sator's,  were  taken  from  it. 

About  177O,  some  preachers  from  Virginia,  particu- 
larly Richard  Major  and  the  Fristoes,  William  and 
Daniel,  began  to  preach  in  the  south-west  borders  of  the 
State  ;  their  labours  were  attended  with  success  :  many 
were  baptized,  who  united  with  the  churches  in  Virgin- 
ia, belonging  to  the  Ketockton  Association,  and  in  this 
way  the  foundations  were  laid  for  the  oldest  churches  in 
that  region. 

Respecting  the  remaining  churches,  in  that  part  of 
Maryland,  which,  by  way  of  contradistinction,  is  called 
the  Western  shore,  I  have  obtained  no  information 
worth  detailing,  excepting  of  those  in  the  city  of  Balti- 
more. 

The  1st  church  in  Baltimore  was  constituted  in  1785. 
with  1 1  members,  all  of  whom,  excepting  Mr.  Richards, 
were  dismissed  from  the  Harford  church.  The  con- 
stituents were  Rev.  Lewis  Richards,  David  Shields  and 
wife,  George  Prestman  and  wife,  Richard  Lemmon,  Al- 


First  Church  in  Baltimore.  17 

exander  M'Kim,  (now  a  member  of  Congress,)  Thom- 
as Coal  and  wife,  William  Hobby,  and  Eleanor  Thomas. 
These  members  had  kept  up  a  meeting  in  Baltimore,  for 
a  number  of  years  before  the  church  was  organized,  and 
were  regularly  supplied  with  preaching  once  a  month, 
by  Mr-  Davis,  the  pastor  of  the  church  with  which  they 
stood  connected,  until  their  present  pastor  removed  and 
settled  in  the  city. 

Mr.  Richards  was  born  in  1152,  in  the  parish  of 
Llanbardarn  vowr,  Cardiganshire,  South- Wales.  He 
made  a  publick  profession  of  religion  at  the  age  of  1 9,  and 
joined  a  society  of  Independents,  and  was  shortly  after 
introduced  to  the  attention  of  the  famous  Lady  Hunt- 
ington,  and  studied  a  short  time  in  the  college  which 
was  under  the  patronage  of  that  remarkable  woman. 
He,  however,  suspended  his  studies  there,  with  a  view 
of  pursuing  them  at  the  Orphan  House  in  Georgia,  and 
embarked  for  America  with  a  number  of  his  fellow  stu- 
dents, the  names  of  whom,  and  many  particulars  respect- 
ing them,  are  related  in  the  biography  of  Rev.  Joseph 
Cook.  Mr.  Richards  was  baptized  by  Dr.  Richard  Fur- 
man,  at  the  High  Hills  of  Santee,  South-Carolina,  in 
1777,  and  was  ordained  the  same  year,  in  Charleston, 
by  Rev.  Messrs.  Hart  and  Cook ;  and  after  travelling 
about  a  year  in  different  parts  of  South-Carolina  and 
Georgia,  removed  to  Northampton  county,  Virginia,  on 
the  Eastern  shore  of  the  Chesapeak  Bay.  From  this 
place  he  removed  to  his  present  station  in  17  84-,  a  few 
months  before  the  church  over  which  he  presides  was 
constituted. 

Some  time  before  the  constitution  of  this  church,  a 
number  of  persons  had  purchased  a  lot  in  the  city,  con- 
taining half  an  acre,  on  which  the  congregation  have 
since  erected  their  present  place,  of  worship,  which  is  a 
neat  brick  building  without  galleries,  60  feet  by  40. 
They  have  also  erected,  on  the  same  lot  a  very  commo- 
dious brick  dwelling-house,  two  stories  high,  for  the  use 
of  their  minister. 

The  origin  of  the  2d  church  in  Baltimore,  is  some- 
what singular,  and  is  thus  related  by  Rev.  John  Healey, 
their  present  pastor  : 

VOL,  2.  3 


1 8  Second  Church  in  Baltimore. 

In  1794,  Mr*  Healey  and  wife,  Matthew  Hulse  and 
wife,  and  William  Lynes  and  wife,  all  members  of  the 
General  Baptist  church  of  Friar  Lane,  Leicester,  En- 
gland, having  resolved  to  go  to  America,  covenanted,  be- 
fore their  departure,  to  remain  together  as  a  religious 
society,  and  to  maintain  the  worship  of  God  among 
themselves,  in  the  distant  country  to  which  they  were 
bound.  They  landed  in  New- York,  in  October,  1794, 
and  tarried  in  that  city  through  the  following  winter. 
The  succeeding  spring  they  removed  to  Baltimore,  and 
immediately  commenced  their  meetings  in  a  ware- 
house, which  had  been  occupied  as  a  place  of  worship 
by  the  Episcopalians.  In  this,  and  in  other  places,  they 
continued  to  assemble  until  1797,  when  they  had  ac- 
quired sufficient  ability  to  erect  a  decent  brick  building 
40  feet  by  27,  with  a  vestry  1O  feet  wide,  which  is  at- 
tached to  one  end  of  it.  It  stands  in  that  part  of  the 
city  called  Fell's  Point. 

About  the  time  the  meeting-house  was  built,  there  re- 
mained  of  the  constituents  of  the  church,  only  Mr.  Hea- 
ley and  his  wife  j  for  Lynes  and  his  wife  went  off  to 
the  Methodists  soon  after  they  came  to  Baltimore,  and 
Hulse  and  his  wife  had  died  with  the  yellow  fever. 
But  others  had  united  with  the  little  establishment, 
which,  in  the  same  year  the  meeting-house  was  built, 
began  to  travel  in  a  church  capacity. 

As  Mr.  Healey  and  his  associates  were  General  Bap- 
tists, they  were,  on  that  account,  for  a  time,  exposed  to 
many  suspicions  and  much  embarrassment ;  for  the 
Baptists,  in  these  parts,  are,  generally  speaking,  strongly 
Calvinistick.  And  between  this  church  and  the  first  in 
the  city,  there  was  no  fellowship  for  a  number  of  years. 
But  the  differences  between  them  have  gradually  sub- 
sided, and  a  full  and  happy  union  has  been  formed. 

This  church,  in  1 809,  had  some  peculiar  trials  with  a 
number  of  its  members  who  went  off  from  them  in  a 
manner  which  they  considered  disorderly,  and  united 
in  forming  a  church  which  was  founded  that  year  by 
Rev.  William  M'Pherson.  Mr.  M'Pherson  was  former- 
ly one  of  Mr.  Haldane's  connexion,  in  Scotland  ;  but  he 
became  a  Baptist  soon  after  he  came  to  America.  Some 
further  account  of  the  church,  which  lie  founded  in  this 


Baltimore  Association.  19 

city,  will  be  given  in  the  history  of  the  community, 
with  which  it  is  connected. 

BALTIMORE  ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  body  was  organized  in  1792,  and  includes  all 
the  associated  churches  in  Maryland,  on  the  western 
side  of  the  Chesapeak  Bay,  excepting  the  church  of  Nan- 
jemoy,  which  belongs  to  the  Ketocton  Association.  It 
also  includes  three  churches  in  Pennsylvania,  which  have 
been  noticed  in  the  history  of  that  State,  and  two  in  the 
city  of  Washington.  It  was  at  first  known  by  the  name 
of  the  Association  on  the  western  shore  of  Maryland. 
The  churches  of  which  it  was,  at  its  constitution,  com- 
posed, were  those  of  Harford,  Fredericktown,  Seneca, 
Taney  Town,  Huntington,  and  Hammond's  Branch. 
The  only  ministers  present,  or  at  least,  who  belonged  to 
it,  were  John  Davis,  Samuel  Lane,  and  Absalom  Bain- 
bridge,  the  last  of  whom  has  since  removed  to  Ken- 
tucky, and  the  number  in  all  the  churches  was  but  253. 

The  first  church  in  Baltimore,  at  that  time,  belonged 
to  the  Philadelphia  Association,  from  which  it  did  not 
see  fit  to  obtain  a  dismission  until  1795,  when  it  united 
with  this  little  establishment,  which,  after  that  time,  as- 
sumed the  name,  which  it  at  present  bears. 

As  the  churches  in  the  city  of  Washington  belong  to 
this  Association,  and  being  in  the  District  of  Columbia, 
do  not  properly  belong  to  any  State,  we  shall  give  their 
history  a  place  here. 

The  1st  church  in  this  city  was  constituted  in  I S02, 
and  arose  in  the  following  manner.  When  the  General 
Government  was  removed  from  Philadelphia  to  this 
newly  established  metropolis',  a  few  Baptist  members, 
some  of  whom  were  in  its  employment,  belonging  to 
different  churches,  removed  hither,  about  the  same  time. 
These  persons  had  frequent  conversations  on  the  advan- 
tages which  might  result  to  them,  from  church  fellow- 
ship ;  and  having  made  previous  arrangements  for  the 
purpose,  were,  on  the  7th  of  March,  1802,  in  the  Hall  of 
the  Treasury  Department,  constituted  into  a  church  by 
the  assistance  of  Messrs.  Jeremiah  More,  Lewis  Rich- 
ards, William  Parkinson,  and  Adam  Freeman,  Their 


20  Salisbury  Association. 

number  was  only  six,  viz.  Charles  P.  Polk,  from  Balti- 
more, John  Burchan,  from  New- York,  Charles  Rogers^ 
from  Maryland,  Cephas  Fox,  from  Virginia,  and  Joseph 
Barrows  and  wife,  from  Philadelphia. 

A  few  days  after  the  church  was  constituted,  the 
brethren  began  to  solicit  the  aid  of  the  citizens,  towards 
erecting  for  them  a  place  of  worship  :  in  their  attempts 
they  were  greatly  assisted  by  Rev.  William  Parkinson, 
who  was  then  officiating  as  Chaplain  to  Congress  ;  and 
so  successful  were  their  exertions,  that  they  soon  obtain- 
ed sufficient  means  to  purchase  a  lot  in  the  west  end  of 
the  city,  75  feet  by  37,  and  to  build  a  handsome  house, 
42  feet  by  32,  in  which  the  first  sermon  was  preached 
by  Mr.  Parkinson,  on  the  14th  day  of  November,  1802. 

Previous  to  this  event,  the  church  had  received  the 
addition  of  five  members,  and  continued  gradually  to 
increase  for  a  number  of  succeeding  years.  It  was  sup- 
plied with  preaching  pretty  frequently  by  the  neigh- 
bouring ministers,  both  in  Virginia  and  Maryland,  but 
had  no  pastor  until  1807,  when  Rev.  Obadiah  B. 
Brown,  a  native  of  Newark,  New- Jersey,  and  who  was 
then  preaching  in  that  town,  by  the  call  of  the  church, 
removed  amongst  them,  and  assumed  the  pastoral  office, 
which  he  still  continues  to  fill  with  reputation  and  suc- 
cess. Mr.  Brown  also  generally  officiates  as  Chaplain  to 
one  branch  of  the  National  Legislature,  during  its  ses- 
sions.* 

The  2d  church  in  Washington,  was  formed  at  the 
Navy  Yard,  in  181O,  partly  of  members  dismissed  from 
the  first, 

SALISBURY  ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  Association  lies  wholly  on  the  eastern  shore  of 
the  Chesapeak  Bay,  and  by  this  Bay  is  separated  from 
the  other  churches  in  Maryland. 

Baptist  sentiments  were  first  propagated  in  this  re- 
gion, by  the  pious  and  laborious  Elijah  Baker,  as  related 

*  Mr.  Polk,  who  furnished  the  substance  of  the  above  articles,  adds  the  fol- 
lowing note:  "Mr.  Benedict  will,  it  is  believed,  do  much  service,  by  recom- 
mending to  travelling  Baptist  ministers,  or  those  of  them  who  wish  to  remove 
south,  to  visit  Maryland;  for,  perhaps,  no  part  of  the  Union  has  more  need  of 
Gospel  preachers  than  it  has:  I  mean  the  country  parts  of  it" 


Acomack  Association.  <i\ 

in  his  biography.  Soon  after  he  began  to  preach  in 
these  parts,  he  was  joined  by  Philip  Hughes,  -whose  min- 
istry was  also  crowned  with  much  success.  These  two 
ministers  laboured  on  the  eastern  shore,  both  in  Mary- 
land and  Virginia,  rather  as  evangelical  itinerants,  than 
as  stationed  pastors,  and  often  visited  the  churches  they 
had  planted,  as  fathers  do  their  children.  A  number  of 
ministers  and  exhorters  were  raised  up  in  the  churches 
which  they  had  established,  who  were  instrumental  in 
forwarding  the  work  which  they  had  begun.  Mr.  Ba- 
ker, it  appears,  first  visited  these  parts  in  J  776  ;  and  in 
1782*  a  sufficient  number  of  churches  having  been  or- 
ganized, they  met  at  Salisbury,  and  formed  themselves 
into  an  Association,  which,  from  that  circumstance,  re- 
ceived its  name.  For  26  years  from  its  establishment, 
viz.  until  1808,  it  progressed  without  any  special  occur- 
rence, but  gradually  increased,  and  was  in  circumstances 
moderately  prosperous.  It  was  now  thought  proper 
that  a  division  should  be  made  ;  and  as  the  churches  of 
which  it  is  composed  were  in  the  two  States  of  Mary- 
land and  Virginia,  the  State  line  was  fixed  upon  as  the 
line  of  division,  and  the  churches  in  Virginia  were  dis- 
missed and  formed  a  new  Association,  which  was  called 
Acomack. 

The  preachers  in  the  Salisbury  Association  have,  from 
the  first,  been  distinguished  rather  for  their  piety  than 
their  parts. 

Dr.  Robert  Lemon,  at  whose  house  the  venerable  E- 
lijah.  Baker  died,  appears  to  have  been  a  man  of  note  in 
this  body,  and  has,  from  the  commencement  of  its  ses- 
sions, almost  uniformly  officiated  as  Moderator. 

John  Asplund,  the  author  of  the  Baptist  Register,  was 
drowned  from  a  canoe,  in  1 807,  in  Fishing  Creek,  which 
gives  name  to  one  of  the  churches  in  this  Association. 

The  churches  now  belonging  to  it,  are  in  the  counties 
of  Caroline,  Dorset,  Somerset,  and  Worcester,  and  are 
all  in  the  State  of  Maryland,  except  the  one  called  Beth- 
el, which  is  in  Sussex  county,  in  the  State  of  Delaware. 

The  Baptists  in  Maryland  have  never  endured  any 
thing  from  the  civil  power,  which  may  properly  be  call- 

*  M.  Edwards's  Materials,  &c.  for  Delaware,  p.  246. 


22  State  of  Religious  Freedom  in  Maryland. 

ed  persecution.  There  appears  to  have  been  a  consid- 
erable outcry  against  them  in  1741,  and  also  in  1746, 
which  was  occasioned  by  the  misconduct  of  Loveali  and 
Palmer,  two  very  disreputable  preachers  of  their  socie- 
ty ;  but  the  clamour  and  violence  ceased,  when  it  was 
found  that  the  Baptists  abhorred  their  conduct  as  much 
as  any  other  society  could  do. 

At  a  very  early  period,  the  Assembly  of  this  State, 
(then  a  province)  enacted,  "  that  no  persons,  professing 
to  believe  in  Jesus  Christ,  should  be  molested  in  respect 
of  their  religion,  or  in  the  free  exercise  thereof,  or  be 
compelled  to  the  exercise  of  any  other  religion,  against 
their  consent ;  so  that  they  be  not  unfaithful  to  the  pro- 
prietary, or  conspire  against  the  civil  government. 
That  any  person  molesting  another  in  respect  of  his  reli- 
gious tenets,  should  pay  treble  damages  to  the  party  ag- 
grieved, and  twenty  shillings  to  the  proprietary  ;  that 
those,  reproaching  any  with  opprobious  names  of  reli- 
gious distinction,  should  forfeit  ten  shillings  to  the  per- 
son injured  ;  that  any  one  speaking  reproachfully  against 
the  Blessed  Virgin,  or  the  Apostles,  should  forfeit  ten 
pounds.  But  blasphemy  against  God,  should  be  pun- 
ished with  death."  This  act  passed  1 649,  and  was  con- 
firmed  in  1676,  among  the  perpetual  laws  of  the  prov- 
ince. 

Virginia,  at  this  period,  animated  by  a  very  different 
spirit,  passed  several  laws  against  the  Puritans,  whose 
ministers  were  not  suffered  to  preach.  This  occasioned 
numbers  to  emigrate  to  Maryland. 

"  Extraordinary  scenes  were,  at  this  time,  exhibited 
on  the  colonial  theatres.  In  Massachusetts,  the  Con- 
gregationalists  intolerant  towards  the  Episcopalians,  and 
every  other  sect ;  the  Episcopal  church  retaliating  upon 
them  in  Virginia  ;  and  the  Roman  Catholicks  of  Mary- 
land, tolerating  and  protecting  all."* 

*  Morse's  Geography. 


Origin  of  the  Baptists  in  Virginia. 


CHAP.  III. 

Origin  of  the  Baptists  in  Virginia,  and  a  brief  Account  of  the 
fint  Company  of  the  Denomination^  who  settled  in  it. 

VIRGINIA  is  famous  for  being  the  oldest  State  in  the 
Union,  for  always  containing  the  largest  number  of  in- 
habitants, for  producing  many  distinguished  statesmen  ; 
and,  for  about  thirty  years,  it  has  been  distinguished  for 
containing  within  its  bounds  a  larger  number  of  the 
Baptist  denomination,  than  any  of  the  other  States. 

"  The  first  settlers  of  this  country  were  emigrants 
from  England,  of  the  English  church,  just  at  a  point  of 
time,  when  it  was  flushed  with  complete  victory  over 
the  religious  of  all  other  persuasions.'*  Possessed  as 
they  became,  of  the  powers  of  making,  administering, 
and  executing  the  laws,  they  shewed  equal  intolerance 
in  this  country,  with  their  Presbyterian  brethren,  who 
had  emigrated  to  the  northern  government. 

"  The  Episcopalians  retained  full  possession  of  the 
country  about  a  century.  Other  opinions  began  to 
creep  in  ;  and  the  great  care  of  the  government  to  sup- 
port their  owri  church,  having  begotten  an  equal  degree 
of  indolence  in  its  clergy,  two  thirds  of  the  people  had 
become  dissenters  at  the  commencement  of  the  revolu- 
tion. The  laws  indeed  were  still  oppressive  on  them  j 
but  the  spirit  of  the  one  party  had  subsided  into  mode- 
ration, and  of  the  other,  had  risen  to  a  degree  of  deter- 
mination which  commanded  respect."* 

We  cannot  learn  that  any  of  the  original  settlers  of 
Virginia  were  Baptists,  nor  do  we  find  any  of  this  de- 
nomination in  the  country,  until  more  than  a  century 
after  its  settlement.  The  accounts  of  their  origin  in  the 
State,  vary  in  dates  and  some  other  little  matters  ;  but 
the  following  statement,  I  believe,  is  the  most  correct 
and  circumstantial  which  can  be  obtained  at  this  late  pe- 
riod. 

In  consequence  of  letters  from  Virginia,  Robert  Nor- 
din  and  Thomas  White  were  ordained  in  London,  in 
May,  1714,  and  soon  sailed  for  Virginia.  But  White 
*  Morse's  Geography,  vol.  1. 3d  ed.  p.  625. 


24    Churches  in  the  Counties  of  Isle  of  Wight  and  Surry. 

died  by  the  way,  and  Nordin  arrived  in  Virginia,  and 
gathered  a  church  at  a  place  called  Burley,  in  the  coun- 
ty of  the  Isle  of  Wight.  There  were,  probably,  a  num- 
ber of  Baptists  settled  in  this  place  before  the  arrival  of 
Nordin,  by  whose  request,  and  for  the  service  of  whom, 
he  and  White  were  ordained,  and  undertook  the  distant 
voyage  ;  but  who,  or  how  many  these  were,  or  how 
long  they  had  been  there,  are  inquiries  which  we  cannot 
answer. 

Mr.  Nordin  continued  preaching  at  Burley  and  other 
places,  until  he  died  in  a  good  old  age  in  1725.  Two 
years  after  his  death,  viz.  in  17'27,  Casper  Mintz  and 
Richard  Jones,  both  preachers,  arrived  from  England, 
and  settled  with  the  church  at  Burley,  and  Jones  be- 
came their  pastor.  Both  of  these  ministers  were  living 
in  1756,  as  appears  by  a  letter  which  this  church  sent  at 
that  time,  to  the  Philadelphia  Association. 

In  the  year  17^9,  as  appears  by  a  letter  sent  by  Rev. 
Paul  Palmer,  from  Noth-Carolina,  to  Rev.  John  Comer, 
of  Newport,  Rhode-Island,  there  was,  besides  the  church 
at  Burley,  another  in  the  county  of  Surry.  Respecting 
these  churches,  Mr.  Palmer  wrote  as  follows  :  "  There 
is  a  comely  little  church  in  the  Isle  of  Wight  county,  of 
about  thirty  or  forty  members,  the  Elder  of  which  is 
one  Richard  Jones,  a  very  sensible  old  gentleman,  whom 
I  have  great  love  for.  We  see  each  other  at  every 
Yearly  Meeting,  and  sometimes  more  often.  There  is 
another  church  in  Surry  county,  where  my  brother 
Jones  lives,  I  suppose  of  about  thirty  more." 

How  long  these  churches  continued  in  existence,  I 
cannot  exactly  learn.  Respecting  the  one  in  the  county 
of  Surry,  no  information  can  be  obtained,  except  what  is 
found  in  Mr.  Palmer's  letter.  The  one  in  the  Isle  of 
Wight,  we  have  good  reason  to  believe  continued  on 
the  ground  where  it  was  established  between  forty  and 
fifty  years,  when,  according  to  Morgan  Edwards's  ac- 
count, it  was  broken  up,  partly  by  sickness,  and  partly 
by  the  removal  of  families  from  hence  to  North-Caro- 
lina, where  they  gained  many  proselytes,  and  in  ten 
years  became  sixteen  churches.  They  were  all  General 
Baptists ;  but  in  a  few  years  after  their  settlement  in 
North-Carolina,  they  began  to  embrace  the  Calvinistick 


Church  in  the  Lie  of  Wight.  25 

sentiments,  as  will  be  seen  in  the  history  of  the  Baptists 
in  that  State.  In  1756,  the  church  at  Burley  sent  the 
following  letter  to  the  Philadelphia  Association  : 

"  The  church  of  Jesus  Christ  in  Isle  of  Wight  county, 
holding- adult  baptism,  &c.  to  the  Reverend  and  Gener- 
al Assembly  or  Association  at  Philadelphia,  send  greet- 
ing. We  the  abovementioned  church,  confess  ourselves 
to  be  under  clouds  of  darkness,  concerning  the  faith  of 
Jesus  Christ,  not  knowing  whether  we  are  on  the  right 
foundation,  and  the  church  much  unsettled  ;  wherefore, 
we  desire  alliance  with  you,  and  that  you  will  be  pleas- 
ed to  send  us  helps,  to  settle  the  church,  and  rectify 
what  may  be  wrong  ;  and  subscribe  ourselves,  your  lov- 
ing brethren  in  Christ,  Casper  Mintz,  Richard  Jones, 
Randal  Allen,  Joseph  Mattgum,  Christopher  Atkinson, 
Benjamin  Atkinson,  David  Atkinson,  Thomas  Cafer, 
Samuel  Jones,  William  Jordan,  John  Allen,  John  Powell3 
Joseph  Atkinson. — Dec.  27,  1756." 

This  is  the  last  account  I  can  find  of  this  church ; 
what  was  done  by  the  Association  in  their  case  I  do  not 
find.  Messrs.  Miller,  Vanhorn,  and  Gano,  travelled  fre- 
quently into  Virginia  and  North-Carolina,  about  this 
time,  for  the  purpose  of  regulating  the  disordered 
churches,  and  it  is  probable,  that  in  some  of  their  jour- 
nies,  they  visited  this  one  which  made  such  an  honest 
confession  of  their  deplorable  state. 

It  does  not  appear  that  this  company  of  Baptists  suffer- 
ed any  persecution  or  civil  embarrassments,  from  the  time 
of  their  settlement  in  Virginia  to  that  of  their  disper- 
sion. They  probably  obtained  legal  licenses  for  their 
assemblies,  in  conformity  to  the  act  of  toleration. 

As  this  community  appears  to  have  been  transferred 
from  Virginia  to  North-Carolina,  the  reader  is  referred 
to  the  history  of  the  Baptists  in  that  State,  where  a 
more  particular  account  of  them  will  be  given. 

VOL.  2.  4 


Baptist  Churches  in  Virginia. 


CHAP.  IV. 

History  cf  the  second  Company  of  Baptists,  in  Virginia,  ivbc< 
emigrated  hither  from  Maryland  ;  together  with  a  general 
Account  of  the  Regular  Baptists,  from  their  Commencement 
in  Virginia  to  the  present  Time. 

THE  next  appearance  of  the  Baptists  in  this  State, 
\vas  in  the  northern  parts  of  it,  in  the  counties  of  Burk- 
ley,  Rockingham,  and  Loudon,  on  the  ground,  which 
was  afterwards  occupied  by  the  Regular  Baptists.  Be- 
tween the  years  1743  and  1756,  three  churches  were 
gathered  in  these  counties,  by  the  names  of  Opeckon, 
which  was  afterwards  called  Millcreek,  Smith's  and 
Lynville's  creek,  and  Kctockton.  A  brief  account  o.t 
the  origin  of  these  churches  will  now  be  given. 

The  church  on  Opeckon  creek  appears  to  have  been 
the  oldest  of  the  three,  and  was  gathered  and  renovated 
in  the  following  manner.  In  the  year  1743,  a  number 
of  the  members  of  the  General  Baptist  church  at  Ches- 
nut  Ridge,  in  Maryland,  removed  to  Virginia,  and  settled 
in  this  place  ;  the  most  noted  of  whom  were  Edward 
Hays  and  Thomas  Yates.  Soon  after  their  removal, 
their  minister,  Henry  Loveall,  followed  them,  and  bap- 
tized about  fifteen  persons,  whom  he  formed  into  a 
church  on  the  Arminian  plan.  Mr.  Loveall,  becoming 
licentious  in  his  life,  was  turned  out  of  the  church,*  and 
returned  to  Maryland ;  and  the  church  was  broken  up, 
or  rather  transformed  into  a  church  of  Particular  Bap- 
tists, in  1751,  by  the  advice  and  assistance  of  Messrs. 
James  Miller,  David  Thomas,  and  John  Gano,  who  was, 
at  that  time,  very  young.  Mr.  Miller  had  visited  this 
church  in  some  of  his  former  journies,  and  had  been  in- 
strumental of  much  good  among  them  ;  and  when  they, 
in  their  troubles  occasioned  by  Loveall's  misconduct,  pe- 
titioned the  Philadelphia  Association  for  some  assistance, 
he  and  Mr.  Thomas  were  appointed  by  the  Association 
for  the  purpose.  Mr.  Gano,  though  not  appointed, 
chose  to  accompany  them.  The  account  of  this  transac- 
tion is  thus  given  by  Mr.  Gano  :  "  We  examined  them, 

*  Life  cf  Gino,  pp.  40  and  50. 


The  Opeckon  Church.  27 

and  found  that  they  were  not  a  regular  church.  We 
then  examined  those  who  offered  themselves  for  the 
purpose,  and  those  who  gave  us  satisfaction,  we  re- 
ceived, and  constituted  a  new  church.  Out  of  the 
whole  who  offered  themselves,  there  were  only  three 
received.  Some  openly  declared,  they  knew  they 
could  not  give  an  account  of  experiencing  a  work  of 
grace,  and  therefore  need  not  offer.  Others  stood 
ready  to  offer,  if  a  church  was  formed.  The  three  be- 
forementioned  were  constituted,  and  six  more  were 
baptized  and  joined  with  them.  After  the  meeting 
ended,  a  number  of  old  members  went  aside  and  sent 
for  me.  They  expressed  their  deplorable  state,  and 
asked  me  if  I  would  meet  with  them  that  evening,  and 
try  to  instruct  them.  They  were  afraid  the  minis- 
ters blamed  them.  They  had  been  misled,  but  it  was 
not  their  fault,  and  they  hoped  I  would  pity  them.  I 
told  them  I  would  with  all  my  heart,  and  endeavoured 
to  remove  their  suspicion  of  the  ministers.  They  met, 
and  I  spoke  to  them  from  these  words,  "  They,  being  ig- 
norant of  God's  righteousness,  and  going  about  to  establish 
•their  own  righteousness,  ha-ve  not  submitted  themselves  unto 
the  righteousness  of  God"  I  hope  I*  was  assisted  to  speak 
to  them  in  an  impressive  manner  ;  and  they  to  hear,  at 
least  some  of  them,  so  as  to  live.  They  afterwards  pro- 
fessed, and  became  zealous  members,  and  remained  so, 
I  believe,  until  their  deaths."' 

It  was  in  the  bounds  of  this  church,  that  Stearns  and 
Marshal  met  on  their  way  to  North-Carolina.  At  this 
time,  Samuel  Heaton  was  their  pastor,  and  acted  in  that 
capacity  until  1754,  when  he  removed  to  Konolowa, 
Pennsylvania,  and  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  John  Garrard, 
who  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  who  became  the  most  distinguished  pastor  the 
church  had  hitherto  enjoyed.  The  Opeckon  church 
united  with  the  Philadelphia  Association,  soon  after  its 
renovation  in  1751.  They  became  very  v/arm  and  ani- 
mated in  their  religious  exercises,  and  more  particular- 
ly so,  after  Mr.  Marshal  and  the  zealous  Separates  came 
amongst  them  ;  and  they  soon  went  to  such  lengths  in 
their  New-Light  career,  that  some  of  the  less  engaged 

*  Gano's  Life,  p.  49,   50. 


28  Smith's  and  Lynville's  Church. 

members  lodged  a  complaint  against  them  in  the  Asso- 
ciation to  which  they  belonged.  Mr.  Miller  was  again 
sent  for  the  purpose  of  adjusting  their  difficulties.  When 
he  came,  he  was  highly  delighted  with  the  exercises, 
joined  them  cordially,  and  said,  if  he  had  such  warm- 
hearted Christians  in  his  church,  he  would  not  take  gold 
for  them.  He  charged  those  who  had  complained,  rath- 
er to  nourish  than  complain  of  such  gifts.  The  work 
of  God  revived  among  them,  and  considerable  additions 
were  made  to  the  church.  The  country,  in  which  they 
had  settled,  was  but  thinly  inhabited,  and  was  subject 
to  the  inroads  of  the  Indians.  Some  of  these  savage 

O 

eruptions  took  place  not  long  after  Mr.  Garrard  had  set- 
tled among  them  ;  in  consequence  of  which,  he  and 
many  of  the  church  removed  below  the  Blue  Ridge,  and 
resided  for  some  time  in  Loudon  county,  on  Ketockton 
creek.  This  evil  was  overruled  for  good  ;  for  by  the  la- 
bours of  Mr.  Garrard  in  his  new  residence,  to  which, 
by  the  barbarous  intruders,  he  was  obliged  to  repair, 
many  were  brought  to  a  knowledge  of  salvation,  and  a 
church  was  formed,  which  was  called  Ketockton,  in 
1756,  and  Mr.  Garrard  became  their  pastor. 

The  Smith's  and  Lynville's  creek  church,  afterwards 
called  Smith's  creek,  is  said  to  have  been  constituted 
also  in  1 756.  There  were  some  Baptist  families  in  this 
place  as  early  as  1745,  eleven  years  before  the  church 
was  organized,  but  from  what  place  they  emigrated,  we 
are  not  informed  ;  only  it  is  stated  that  one  John  Harri- 
son, wishing  to  be  baptized,  went  as  far  as  Oyster  bay, 
on  Long-Island,  in  the  State  of  New- York,  to  obtain  an 
administrator.  As  there  were  Baptist  churches  and 
ministers  much  nearer,  the  presumption  is,  that  he,  if 
no  others,  had  removed  from  that  place.* 

*  I  have  followed  Mr.  Semple  with  regard  to  the  time  of  the  constitution  ot 
the  Ketockton  and  Smith's  creek  churches.  But  according  to  Mr.  Gar.o's  ac- 
count, one  of  them  must  have  been  formed  at  least  five  or  six  years  before; 
which  of  them  I  cannot  tell,  for  his  account  is  very  indefinite.  But  it  appears 
to  be  certain,  that  before  the  year  1751,  there  was  a  young  church  which  had 
been  constituted  somewhere  in  this  region  by  David  Thomas,  which  had  no 
pastor,  and  which  in  that  year  "  applied  to  the  Philadelphia  Association  tor 
some  one  to  administer  the  ordinances  amongst  them."  Mr.  Gano  also  men- 
tions, in  his  account  of  his  journey  to  the  southward,  immediately  after  his  or- 
dination in  1754,  that  the  church  at  Blue  Ridge  applied  to  the  Philadelphia  As- 
sociation, &c.  Gano's  life,  pp.  40 — 55. 


Origin  of  the  Broadrun  Church.  29 

We  must  date  the  origin  of  'the  Regular  Baptists  in 
Virginia  about  the  year  1750,  but  it  was  not  until  ten 
years  after,  that  they  began  to  flourish  and  prevail  to 
any  considerable  extent.  In  1760,  David  Thomas,  who 
had  often  visited  the  State  before,  in  his  evangelical  ex- 
cursions, now  removed  from  Pennsylvania,  and  became 
a  resident  in  it,  where  he  acted  a  most  distinguished 
part  for  thirty  years  ;  when  he  removed  to  Kentucky, 
where  he  was  living,  but  almost  blind,  in  18O9.  As 
this  eminent  servant  of  God,  rf  yet  living,  must  be  eigh- 
ty years  old,  and  can  therefore  be  but  little  affected  by 
the  praises  or  censures  of  men,  we  shall  take  the  liberty 
of  saying  more  about  him  in  the  following  narrative, 
than  we  generally  intend  to  say  of  the  living. 

Mr.  Thomas  was  born  August  16,  1732,  at  London 
Tract,  Pennsylvania,  and  had  his  education  at  Hope  well., 
New- Jersey,  under  the  famous  Isaac  Eaton,  and  so  con- 
siderable were  his  literary  acquirements,  that  the  Rhode- 
Island  College  (now  Brown  University)  conferred  on 
him  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts. 

Mr.  Thomas  made  his  first  stand  in  Virginia,  in  Berk- 
ley county,  with,  or  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
Opeckon  or  Millcreek  church  ;  but  in  1762,  he  remov- 
ed to  the  county  of  Fauquier,  and  became  the  pastor  of 
the  Broadrun  church,  which  was  gathered  soon  after  he 
removed  to  the  place. 

The  origin  of  the  Broadrun  church,  and  the  manner 
in  which  Mr.  Thomas  was  introduced  among  them,  are 
related  as  follow.  A  short  time  previous  to  his  re- 
moving to  Virginia,  two  men  in  this  region,  without 
any  publick  preaching,  became  much  concerned  about 
their  souls  and  eternal  things,  were  convinced  of  the 
reality  of  vital  religion,  and  that  they  were  destitute  of 
it.  While  labouring  under  these  convictions,  they 
heard  of  the  Baptists,  (New-Lights,  as  some  called  them; 
in  Berkley  county,  and  set  out  in  search  of  them  ;  and 
after  travelling  about  sixty  miles  over  a  rough  and 
mountainous  way,  they  arrived  amongst  them,  and  by 
their  preaching  and  conversation  were  much  enlighten- 
ed and  comforted,  and  were  so  happy  as  to  find  what 
had  hitherto  to  them  been  mysterious,  how  a  weary  and 
heavy  laden  sinner  might  have  rest.  The  name  of  one 


$0  Persecutions  of  David  Thoma*. 

of  these  men  was  Peter  Cornwell,  who  afterwards  lived 
to  a  good  old  age,  and  was  so  eminent  for  his  piety,  as 
to  receive  from  his  neighbours  and  acquaintance  the  ti- 
tle of  "  Saini  Peter"*  It  is  related  by  Mr.  Edwards, 
"  that  this  Peter  Cornwell  induced  Edmund  Hays  (the 
same  man  who  removed  from  Maryland  to  Virginia,  in 
1743)  to  remove  and  settle  near  him,  and  that  inter- 
views between  the  families  of  these  two  men  were  fre- 
quent, and  their  conversation  religious  and  devout ;  in- 
somuch thai:  it  soon  began  to  be  talked  of  abroad  as  a 
very  strange  tiling.  Many  came  to  see  them,  to  whom 
they  related  what  God  had  done  for  their  souls,  exhort- 
ed, prayed,  and  read  the  Bible,  and  other  good  books, 
to  the  spreading  of  seriousness  through  the  whole  neigh- 
bourhood." Cornwell  and  his  companion,  (whose  name 
is  not  mentioned)  in  a  short  time  made  a  second  visit 
to  Berkley,  and  were  baptized  ;  and  Divine  Providence 
had  so  ordered  matters,  that  in  this  visit  they  met  with 
Mr.  Thomas,  whom  they  invited  to  go  down  and  preach 
amongst  them.  He  accepted  the  invitation,  and  settled 
with  them,  as  before  related,  and  soon  became  the  in- 
strument of  diffusing  gospel  light  in  Fauquier  and  the 
adjacent  counties,  where  ignorance  and  superstition  had 
long  prevailed. 

Mr.  Thomas  is  said  to  have  been  a  minister  of  great 
distinction  in  the  prime  of  his  days  ;  for  besides  the  na- 
tural endowments  of  a  strong  and  vigorous  mind,  and 
the  advantages  of  a  classical  and  refined  education,  he 
had  a  melodious  and  piercing  voice,  pathetic  address, 
expressive  action,  and,  above  all,  a  heart  filled  with  love 
to  God  and  his  fellow-men,  whom  he  saw  overwhelmed 
in  sin  and  misery.  But  for  a  few  of  the  first  years  of 
his  ministry  in  Virginia,  he  met  with  much  rustick  per- 
secution from  the  rude  inhabitants,  who,  as  a  satirical 
historian  observes,  "  had  not  ivit  enough  to  sin  in  a  genteel 
manner."^ 

Outrageous  mobs  and  individuals  frequently  assault- 
ed and  disturbed  him.  Once  he  was  pulled  down  as  he 
was  preaching,  and  dragged  out  of  doors  in  a  barbarous 
manner.  At  another  time  a  malevolent  fellow  attempt- 

*  F:           i  Hist,  of  the  Kctcckton  Asso.  p.  100. 

-..in  Edwards. 


Persecutions  of  David  Thomas.  31 

ed  to  shoot  him,  but  a  by-stander  wrenched  the  gun 
from  him,  and  thereby  prevented  the  execution  of  Iris 
wicked  purpose.  "  The  slanders  and  revilings,"  says 
Mr.  Edwards,  "  which  he  met  with,  are  innumerable  ; 
and  if  we  may  judge  of  a  man's  prevalency  against  the 
devil,  by  the  rage  of  the  devil's  children,  Thomas  pre- 
vailed like  a  prince."  But  the  gospel  flourished  and 
prevailed  ;  and  Broadrun  church,  of  which  he  was  pastor, 
in  the  course  of  six  or  eight  years  from  its  establish- 
ment, branched  out5  and  became  the  mother  of  five  or 
six  others.  The  Chappawomsick  church  was  constituted 
from  that  at  Broadrun,  in  1766.  The  Baptists  in  this 
church  met  with  the  most  violent  opposition.  One  Rob- 
ert Ashly  and  his  gang,  (consisting  of  about  40)  combin- 
ed against  them,  with  the  most  determined  and  enven- 
omed hostility.  Once  they  came  to  harass  them  at 
their  worship,  and  entered  the  house  with  violence  ; 
but  some  stout  fellows,  not  able  to  bear  the  insult,  took 
Ashly  by  the  neck  and  heels,  and  threw  him  out  of 
doors.  This  infernal  conspiracy  continued  to  vent  their 
rage  against  the  Baptists,  by  throwing  a  live  snake  into 
the  midst  of  them  at  one  time,  and  a  hornet's  nest  at 
another,  while  they  were  at  worship  ;  and  at  another 
time  they  brought  fire-arms  to  disperse  them.  But 
Ashly  dying,  soon  after,  in  a  miserable  manner,  struck 
a  damp  on  their  mischievous  designs,  and  procured  qui- 
etness for  a  while  to  the  poor  sufferers,  whom  the  civil 
powers  left  to  the  mercy,  or  rather  to  the  rage  and  in- 
solence of  such  an  infuriated  banditti. 

But  to  return  to  Mr.  Thomas.  He  travelled  much, 
and  the  fame  of  his  preaching  drew  the  attention  of 
people  throughout  an  extensive  circle  ;  and  they  trav- 
elled, in  many  instances,  fifty  and  sixty  miles  to  hear 
him.  It  is  remarkable,  that  about  this  time,  there  were 
multiplied  instances,  in  different  parts  of  Virginia,  of 
persons,  who  had  never  heard  any  thing  like  evangelic- 
al preaching,  who  were  brought,  through  divine  grace, 
to  see  and  reel  their  want  of  vital  godliness.  Many  of 
these  persons,  when  they  heard  Mr.  Thomas  and  other 
Baptist  preachers,  would  travel  great  distances  to  hear 
them,  and  to  procure  their  services  in  their  own  neigh- 
bourhoods. By  this  means,  the  gospel  was  first  carried 


32  Persecutions  of  the  Baptists  by  the  Clergy. 

into  the  county  of  Culpepper.  Mr.  Allen  Wyley,  a 
man  of  respectable  standing  in  that  county,  had  been 
thus  turned  to  God  ;  and  not  knowing  of  any  spiritual 
preacher,  he  had,  sometimes,  gathered  his  neighbours, 
and  read  the  Scriptures,  and  exhorted  them  to  repent- 
ance ;  but  hearing,  after  a  while,  of  Mr.  Thomas,  he 
and  some  of  his  neighbours  travelled  to  Fauquier  to 
hear  him.  As  soon  as  he  heard  him,  he  knew  the  joy- 
ful sound,  submitted  to  baptism,  and  invited  him  to 
preach  at  his  house.  He  came  ;  but  the  opposition  from 
the  wicked  was  so  great  that  he  could  not  preach.  He 
went  into  the  county  of  Orange,  and  preached  several 
times,  and  to  much  purpose.  Having,  however,  urgent 
calls  to  preach  in  various  other  places,  and  being  much 
opposed  and  persecuted,  he  did  not  attend  here  as  often 
as  was  wished.  On  this  account  it  was,  that  Mr.  Wy- 
ley went  to  Pittsylvania,  to  procure  the  labours  of 
Samuel  Harris ;  an  account  of  which  will  be  given  in 
the  history  of  the  Separates.  Mr.  Thomas  and  Mr. 
Garrard,  sometimes  together  and  sometimes  apart,  trav- 
elled and  propagated  the  pure  principles  of  Christianity 
in  all  the  upper  counties  of  the  Northern  Neck  ;  but 
Mr.  Thomas  was  far  the  most  active. 

The  priests  and  friends  of  the  establishment,  viewed 
with  a  jealous  eye  these  successful  exertions  of  the  Bap- 
tists, and  adopted  various  methods  to  embarrass  and  de- 
feat them.  The  clergy  often  attacked  the  preachers 
from  the  pulpit ;  called  them  false  prophets,  wolves  in 
sheeps*  clothing,  and  many  other  hard  names  equally 
unapproprmte  and  slanderous.  But  unfortunately  for 
them,  the  Baptists  retorted  these  charges,  by  professing 
to  believe  their  own  articles ;  at  least,  the  leading  ones, 
and  charged  them  with  denying  them  ;  a  charge  which 
they  could  easily  substantiate :  for  the  doctrines  most 
complained  of,  as  advanced  by  the  Baptists,  were  obvi- 
ously laid  down  in  the  common  prayer-book. 

When  they  could  not  succeed  by  arguments,  they 
adopted  more  violent  measures.  Sometimes  the  preach- 
ers, and  even  some  who  only  read  sermons  and  prayed 
publickly,  were  carried  before  magistrates,  and  though 
not  committed  to  prison,  were  sharply  reprimanded, 
and  cautioned  not  to  be  righteous  overmuch. 


Cases  of  Imprisonment.  33- 

In  two  instances  only,  does  it  appear,  that  any  person 
in  these  parts,  was  actually  imprisoned  on  account  of 
religion,  although  they  suffered  much  abuse  and  perse- 
cution from  outrageous  mobs  and  malicious  individuals. 
The  one,  it  seems,  was  a  licensed  exhorter,  and  was  ar- 
rested for  exhorting  at  a  licensed  meeting-house.  The 
magistrate  sent  him  to  jail,  where  he  was  kepi"  until 
court ;  but  the  court,  upon  knowing  the  circumstances, 
discharged  him.  The  other  was  James  Ireland,  who  was 
imprisoned  in  Culpepper  jail,  and  in  other  respects 
treated  very  ill.  At  the  time  of  his  imprisonment,  Mr. 
Ireland  was  a  Separate  Baptist,  but  he  afterwards  joined 
the  Regulars.  The  reasons  why  the  Regular  Baptists 
were  not  so  much  persecuted  as  the  Separates  was,  that 
they  had,  at  an  early  date,  applied  to  the  General  Court, 
and  obtained  licenses  for  particular  places  of  preaching, 
under  the  toleration  law  of  England  ;  but  few  of  their 
enemies  knew  the  extent  of  these  licenses  ;  most  sup- 
posing, that  they  were  by  them,  authorized  to  preach 
any  where  in  the  county. 

The  Regulars  were  considered  less  enthusiastick  than 
the  Separates.  They  were  frequently  visited  by  a  num- 
ber of  eminent  and  influential  ministers  from  the  Phil- 
adelphia Association,  and  they  also  had,  at  their  head, 
the  learned  and  eloquent  David  Thomas,  who,  after 
stemming  the  torrent  of  prejudices  and  opposition  for  a 
few  years,  acquired  an  extensive  fame  and  great  wei'ght 
of  character,  even  in  the  eyes  of  his  enemies  j  and  was 
the  means  of  procuring  a  degree  of  quietude  and  respec- 
tability for  his  reproached  and  persecuted  brethren. 
But  in  the  most  persecuting  times,  the  Baptist  cause  still 
flourished,  and  the  work  of  grace  progressed.  New 
churches  were  constituted,  and  young  preachers  were 
raised  up.  Of  these,  none  were  more  distinguished 
than  Richard  Major,  although  he  was  past  the  meridian 
of  life  before  he  embarked  in  the  ministry.  He  seems 
to  have  made  such  good  use  of  his  time,  that  he  did 
more  in  the  vineyard  than  many  who  had  toiled  all  the 
day.  Daniel  and  William  Fristoe,  Jeremiah  Moore,  and 
others,  were  early  fruits  of  Elder  Thomas's  ministry. 
These  young  heralds,  uniting  their  endeavours  with 


3*  Extent  cf  the  Regular  Baptist  Connexion. 

those  of  the  more  experienced,  became  zealous  labour- 
crs  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord. 

Before  the  year  1770,  the  Regular  Baptists  were 
spread  over  the  whole  country,  in  the  Northern  Neck 
above  Fredericksburg.  Between  !77Oand  1780,  their 
cords  still  continued  to  be  lengthened.  Mr.  Lunsford,. 
a  young  but  extraordinary  preacher,  carried  the  tidings 
of  peace  downwards,  and  planted  the  Redeemer's  stand- 
ard in  those  counties  of  the  Northern  Neck  which  are 
below  Fredericksburg.  Messrs.  Corbley,  Sutton,  and 
Barnet,  had  moved  over  the  Allegheny,  and  had  raised 
up  several  churches  in  the  northwest  counties,  as  early 
as  1775.  Mr.  John  Alderson  had  gone,  in  1777,  to 
Greenbrier,  and  in  a  few  years  raised  up  a  people  for 
God  in  that  region.  Besides  these,  there  were  some 
others,  who  moved  more  southward,  and  raised  up  a 
few  churches. 

During  the  time  of  the  great  declension  of  religion 
among  the  Virginia  Baptists,  which  prevailed  soon  after 
the  close  of  the  war,  the  Regulars  were  under  the  cloud  as 
well  as  their  brethren  the  Separates  ;  and  they  also  par- 
ticipated in  the  great  revival  in  1785,  and  some  year? 
following. 

An  account  of  the  present  state  of  religion  amongst 
the  churches  and  people  who  were  formerly  called  Reg- 
ular Baptists,  will  be  given  in  the  general  observations 
with  which  we  shall  conclude  the  history  of  this  State. 
But  before  \ve  close  this  chapter,  it  is  proper  to  give  a 
brief  history  of  the  Ketockton  Association,  together  with 
those  Associations  which  have  originated  from  it. 

The  Ketockton  Association  was  formed  in  1766,  and 
was  the  fifth  Association  of  Calvinistick  Baptists  in  Amer- 
ica. The  Philadelphia,  the  Charleston,  Sandy-creek,  and 
Kehukee  Associations  were  formed  before  it ;  and  besides 
these  was  the  Rhode-Island  Yearly  Meeting  of  Arminian 
Baptists.  This  Association  contained  but  four  churches 
at  the  time  of  its  organization,  viz,  the  Mill-creek,  the 
Smith's-creek,  the  Ketockton,  and  Broadrun  ;  the  three 
first  of  which  were  dismissed  from  the  Philadelphia  As- 
sociation, with  which  body  they  united  soon  after  they 
were  constituted.  These  churches  held  Yearly  Meeting^ 


Ketockton,  Redstone,  and  Greenbrier  Associations.    35 

3»r  a  number  of  years  before  they  were  organized  into  an 
Association.* 

Very  few  things  appear  to  have  transpired  in  the  pro- 
gress of  this  body,  worthy  of  being  detailed.  It  adopted 
the  Philadelphia  confession  of  faith  at  its  commencement, 
and  progressed  with  order,  regularity,  and  propriety.  It 
also  experienced  an  annual  increase  of  churches  and  mem- 
bers, during  what  may  be  termed  the  rise  of  the  Baptists, 
in  the  region  in  which  it  was  situated,  although  it  did  not 
increase  so  rapidly  as  many  new  Associations  have  done, 

In  1789  a  temporary  division  of  this  body  was  made, 
and  a  new  Association,  called  Cappawamsick,  was  taken, 
from  it ;  but  for  some  cause,  which  is  not  related,  both 
bodies  re-united  in  1792.  'The  union  with  the  Separate 
Baptists,  which  the  Regulars  long  sought  and  desired,  and 
which  was  happily  effected  in  1787,  by  delegates  from  this 
Association,  will  be  mentioned  in  the  history  of  that  com- 
munity. 

It  is  said  by  Rev.  William  Fristoe,  the  historian  of  tlnVs 
Association,  that  about  40  churches  have  joined  it  frou?n 
first  to  last,  and  that  at  one  time  the  churches  were  scat-is 
tered  over  an  extent  of  country,  about  300  milefs  in  length,*1 
and  100  in  breadth.f     But  as  a  number  of  churches  have 
been  dismissed  to  unite  with  other  Associations,  its  bounds 
are  now  much  contracted. 

In  1775,  four  churches  were  dismissed  from  this  Asso- 
ciation, for  the  purpose  of  forming  the  Redstone  Associ- 
ation, in  the  back  parts  of  Pennsylvania,  whose  history 
has  already  been  given  ;  and  in  179,3,  a  number  of 
churches  more  were  dismissed  to  unite  with  some  others, 
who  originated  from  the  Separates,  in  forming  an  Associ- 
ation, which  was  called  Greenbrier,  which  lies  in  the  back 
and  mountainous  parts  of  Virginia. 

Mr.  John  Alderson,  whose  father  removed  from  New- 
Jersey,  and  became  the  first  pastor  of  the  Smith's-creek 
church,  began,  in  1775,  to  visit  the  region  in  which  the 
Greenbrier  Association  is  now  situated,  when  the  country 
was  in  a  wilderness  condition,  both  in  a  natural  and  spiritual 

*  Asplund  and  Edwards  date  the  beginning  of  this  Association  in  1765 ;  but 
bySemple's  account,  the  churches  were  in  this  year  dismissed  from  the  Phila- 
delphia, and  organized  the  year  after. 

|  Fristoe's  Hist,  of  the  Ketockton  Assoc.  p.  I?, 


36  John  Alders  on — Jo$iah  Osbourne. 

sense.  Having  met  with  some  success  and  encourage- 
ment, he,  in  1777,  removed  his  family  into  those  parts, 
and  in  a  few  years  had  the  happiness  of  being  instru- 
mental in  planting  a  number  of  churches.  What  appears 
to  be  the  most  remarkable  event  in  his  history  in  this 
region  is,  that  although  he  travelled  much  throughout 
an  extensive  circle,  yet  for  seven  years  after  his  settle- 
ment here,  he  never  saw  nor  heard  any  Baptist  preach- 
er but  himself.  The  inhabitants  of  this  uncultivated 
wilderness  were  interrupted  by  the  ravages  of  the  In- 
dians, soon  after  Mr.  Alderson  settled  among  them, 
and  were  obliged  to  keep  shut  up  in  forts,  for  the  space 
of  four  years.  During  which  time,  this  laborious  min- 
ister, generally  attended  by  a  small  guard,  travelled 
through  the  dangerous  wilds  from  one  fort  to  another, 
continually  exposed  to  the  lurking  savages,  to  preach  the 
gospel  to  the  self-confined  prisoners. 

Mr.  Josiah  Osbourne  is  one  of  the  ministers  of  this 
Dissociation,  who  is  remarkable  for  having  published  a 
Mece  in  defence  of  the  peculiar  sentiments  of  the  Bap- 
*ists,  in  the  colloquial  strain,  under  the  title  of  David 
^nd  Goliath.  This  piece,  written  by  an  obscure  and  al- 
most altogether  illiterate  man,  is  considered  by  many, 
as  one  of  the  best  treatises  on  baptism  that  has  ever  been 
published,  and  for  perspicuity  and  force  of  argument, 
certainly  excels  many  of  the  elaborate  productions  oi 
learned  divines. 

The  Union  Association  lies  wholly  in  Virginia,  and  in 
the  northwest  part  of  the  State,  and  is  in  what  were 
formerly  the  bounds  of  the  Ketockton  Association  ;  but 
all  the  churches  which  formed  it  were  dismissed  from 
the  Redstone  Association.  The  names  and  numbers  of 
these  churches,  their  number  of  members,  their  pastors, 
and  the  counties  in  which  they  are  situated,  will  be  giv- 
en in  the  table  of  Associations, 


Separate  Baptists  m  Virginia. 


CHAP.    V./U*- 

General  History  of  all  the  Separate  Baptists  in  Virginia, 
North-Carolina,  South-Carolina,  and  Georgia,  from  the 
Time  of  their  Settlement  at  Sandy-Creek,  North-Carolina, 
1 755,  to  the  Division  of  their  extensive  Connexion,  in  1 77O. 

THE  appellation  of  Separates  first  began  to  be  given  to 
a  set  of  Pedobaptist  reformers,  whose  evangelical  zeal  \vas 
produced  by  the  instrumentality  of  the  famous  George 
Whitefield,  and  other  eminent  itinerant  preachers  of  that 
day,  and  who  began  their  extraordinary  career  about  the 
year  1740.  Soon  after  these  reformers,  who  were  at 
first  called  New-Lights,  and  afterwards  Separates,  were 
organized  into  distinct  Societies,  they  were  joined  by  Shu- 
bael  Stearns,  a  native  of  Boston,  (Mass.)  who,  becoming 
a.  preacher,  laboured  among  them  until  17-51,  when  he 
embraced  the  sentiments  of  the  Baptists,  as  many  others 
of  the  Pedobaptist  Separates  did  about  this  time,  and  soon 
after  was  baptized  by  Rev.  Wait  Palmer.  Mr.  Stearns 
was  ordained  the  same  year  in  Tolland,  (Conn.)  the  town 
in  which  he  was  baptized,  by  the  said  Wait  Palmer  and 
Joshua  Morse,  the  former  being  pastor  of  the  church  in 
Stonington,  and  the  latter  of  New-London,  in  Connec- 
ticut. 

Mr.  Stearns  and  most  of  the  Separates  had  strong  faith 
in  the  immediate  teachings  of  the  Spirit.  They  believ- 
ed, that  to  those  who  sought  him  earnestly,  God  often 
gave  evident  tokens  of  his  will.  That  such  indications 
of  the  divine  pleasure,  partaking  of  the  nature  of  inspira- 
tion, were  above,  though  not  contrary  to  reason,  and  that 
following  these,  still  leaning  in  every  step  upon  the  same 
wisdom  and  power  by  which  they  were  first  actuated, 
they  would  inevitably  be  led  to  the  accomplishment  of  the 
two  great  objects  of  a  Christian's  life,  the  glory  of  God 
and  the  salvation  of  men.  Mr.  Stearns,  listening  to 
some  of  these  instructions  of  Heaven,  as  he  esteemed 
them,  conceived  himself  called  upon  by  the  Almighty  to 
move  far  to  the  westward,  to  execute  a  great  and  exten- 
sive work.  Incited  by  his  impressions,  in  the  year  17-54. 
he  and  a  few  of  his  members,  took  their  leave  of  Nev- 


'33  Shubael  Stearns  and  others  form  a  Church. 

England.  He  halted  first  at  Opeckon,  in  Berkley 
county,  Virginia,  where  he  found  a  Baptist  church  under 
the  care  of  the  Rev.  John  Garrard,  \vho  received  him 
kindly.  Here  also  he  met  his  brother-in-law,  the  Rev. 
Daniel  Marshall,  who  was  also  a  Separate,  and  of  whom 
much  will  be  said  in  the  history  of  the  southern  Baptists, 
just  returned  from  his  mission  among  the  Indians,  and 
who,  after  his  arrival  at  this  place,  had  become  a  Baptist. 
They  joined  companies,  and  settled  for  a  while  on  Caca- 
pou,  in  Hampshire  county,  about  SO  miles  from  Winches- 
ter. Here,  Stearns  not  meeting  with  his  expected  suc- 
cess, felt  restless.  Some  of  his  friends  had  moved  to 
North- Carolina  ;  he  received  letters  from  these,  informing 
him,  that  preaching  was  greatly  desired  by  the  people  of 
that  country ;  that  in  some  instances  they  had  rode  4O 
miles  to  hear  one  sermon.  He  and  his  party  once  more 
got  under  way, and, travelling  about  '2OO  miles, came  to  San- 
dy-creek, in  Guilford  county,  North-Carolina.  Here  he 
took  up  his  permanent  residence.  The  number  of  families 
in  Stearns's  company  were  8,  and  the  number  of  communi- 
cants 16,  viz.  Shubael  Stearns  and  wife,  Peter  Stearns 
and  wife,  Ebenezer  Stearns  and  wife,  Shubael  Stearns,  jun. 
and  wife,  Daniel  Marshall  and  wife,  Joseph  Breed  and 
wife,  Enos  Stimson  and  wife,  Jonathan  Polk  and  wife. 

As  soon  as  they  arrived,  they  built  them  a  little  meeting- 
house, and  these  1 6  persons  formed  themselves  into  a 
church,  and  chose  Shubael  Stearns  for  their  pastor,  who 
had,  for  his  assistants  at  that  time,  Daniel  Marshall  and 
Joseph  Breed,  neither  of  whom  were  ordained. 

The  inhabitants  about  this  little  colony  of  Baptists,  al- 
though brought  up  in  the  Christian  religion,  were  grossly 
ignorant  of  its  essential  principles.  Having  the  form  of 
godliness,  they  knew  nothing  of  its  power.  Stearns  and 
his  party,  of  course,  brought  strange  things  to  their  ears. 
To  be  born  again,  appeared  to  them  as  absurd  as  it  did  to 
the  Jewish  doctor,  when  he  asked,  if  he  must  enter  the 
second  time  into  his  mother's  womb  and  be  born.  Hav- 
ing always  supposed  that  religion  consisted  in  nothing  more 
than  the  practice  of  its  outward  duties,  they  could  not 
comprehend  how  it  should  be  necessary  to  feel  conviction 
and  conversion  ;  and  to  be  able  to  ascertain  the  time  and 
place  of  one's  conversion,  was,  in  their  estimation,  won- 


Difficulty  about  Marshall's  Ordination.  S(J 

derful  indeed.  These  points  were  all  strenuously  contend- 
ed for  by  the  new  preachers.  But  their  manner  of  preach- 
ing was,  if  possible,  much  more  novel  than  their  doctrines. 
The  Separates  in  New-England  had  acquired  a  very  warm 
and  pathetic  address,  accompanied  by  strong  gestures  and 
a  singular  tone  of  voice.  Being  often  deeply  affected 
themselves  when  preaching,  correspondent  affections  were 
felt  by  their  pious  hearers,  which  were  frequently  express- 
ed by  tears,  trembling,  screams,  and  acclamations  of  grief 
and  joy.  All  these  they  brought  with  them  into  their 
new  habitation,  at  which  the  people  were  greatly  astonish- 
ed, having  never  seen  things  on  this  wise  before.  Many 
mocked,  but  the  power  of  God  attending  them,  many  also 
trembled.  In  process  of  time,  some  of  the  inhabitants  be- 
came converts,  and  bowed  obedience  to  the  Redeemer's 
sceptre.  These  uniting  their  labours  with  the  others,  a 
powerful  and  extensive  work  commenced,  and  Sandy- 
creek  church  soon  swelled  from  16  to  606  members. 

Daniel  Marshall,  though  not  possessed  of  great  talents, 
was  indefatigable  in  his  labours.  He  sallied  out  into  the 
adjacent  neighbourhoods,  and  planted  the  Redeemer's 
standard  in  many  of  the  strong  holds  of  Satan.  At  Ab- 
bot's-creek,  about  thirty  miles  from,  Sandy-creek,  the 
gospel  prospered  so  largely,  that  they  petitioned  the  moth- 
er church  for  a  constitution,  and  for  the  ordination  of 
Mr.  Marshall  as  their  pastor.  The  church  was  constitu- 
ted ;  Mr.  Marshall  accepted  the  call,  and  went  to  live 
among  them.  His  ordination,  however,  was  a  matter  of 
some  difficulty.  It  required,  upon  their  principles,  a  plu- 
rality of  elders  to  constitute  a  presbytery.  Mr.  Stearns 
was  the  only  ordained  minister  among  them.  In  this  di- 
lemma, they  were  informed,  that  there  were  some  Regu- 
lar Baptist  preachers  living  on  Pedee  river,  (S.  C.)  To 
one*  of  these,  Mr.  Stearns  applied,  and  requested  him  to 
assist  him  in  the  ordination  of  Mr.  Marshall.  This  re- 
quest lie  sternly  refused,  declaring  that  he  held  no  fellow- 
ship with  Stearns's  party  j  that  he  be'ieved  them  to  be  a 
disorderly  set  j  suffering  women  to  pray  in  public,  and 
permitting  every  ignorant  man  to  preach  that  chose  ;  and 
that  they  encouraged  noise  and  confusion  in  their  meet- 

*  This  minister  was,  probably,  Rev.  Nicholas  Btx'.gegocd,  n*  Jmt  time  pas- 
tor ot"  the  church  at  \\>hh  Tract. 


4-0     Marshall's,  Lane's  and  Harris's  successful  Labours. 

ings.  Application  was  then  made  to  Mr.  Leadbetter,  who 
was  then  pastor  of  the  church  on  Lynch's-creek,  Craven 
county,  South-Carolina,  and  who  was  a  brother-in-law  of 
Mr.  Marshall.  He  and  Mr.  Stearns  ordained  Mr.  Mar- 
shall to  the  care  of  this  new  church.  The  work  of  grace 
continued  to  spread,  and  several  preachers  were  raised  in 
North-Carolina.  Among  others  was  James  Read,  who 
was  afterwards  very  successful  in  Virginia.  When  he 
first  began  to  preach  he  was  very  illiterate,  not  knowing 
how  to  read  or  write.  His  wife  became  his  instructor, 
and  he  soon  acquired  learning  sufficient  to  enable  him  to 
read  the  Scriptures. 

The  gospel  was  carried  by  Mr.  Marshall  into  the 
parts  of  Virginia,  adjacent  to  the  residence  of  this  re- 
ligious colony,  soon  after  their  settlement.  He  baptized 
several  persons  in  some  of  his  first  visits.  Among  them 
was  Button  Lane,  who,  shortly  after  his  baptism,  began 
to  preach.  A  revival  succeeded,  and  Mr.  Marshall  at 
one  time  baptized  4'2  persons.  In  August,  1760,  a  church 
was  constituted,  and  Mr.  Lane  became  their  pastor.  This 
was  the  first  Separate  Baptist  church  in  Virginia,  and  in 
some  sense  the  mother  of  all  the  rest.  The  church  pros- 
pered much  under  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Lane,  aided  by  the 
occasional  visits  of  Mr.  Marshall  and  Mr.  Stearns.  They 
endured  much  persecution,  but  God  prospered  them,  and 
delivered  them  out  of  the  hands  of  all  their  enemies. 

Soon  after  Mr.  Lane's  conversion,  the  power  of  God 
was  effectual  in  the  conversion  of  Samuel  Harris,  a  man 
of  great  distinction  in  those  parts.  But  upon  being  hon- 
oured of  God,  he  laid  aside  all  worldly  honours,  and  be- 
came a  labourer  in  the  Lord's  vineyard.  In  1 759,  he  was 
ordained  a  ruling  elder.  From  the  commencement  of  his 
ministry,  for  about  seven  years,  his  labours  were  devoted 
chiefly  to  his  own  and  the  adjacent  counties.  Being  oft- 
en with  Mr.  Marshall  in  his  ministerial  journies,  he  caught 
the  zeal,  diligence,  and  indeed  the  manners  of  this  zeal- 
ous evangelist.  His  labours  were  crowned  with  the  bless- 
ing of  Heaven  wherever  he  went.  Stearns,  though  not 
as  laborious  as  Marshall,  was  not  idle.  He  seems  to  have, 
possessed  the  talent  of  arranging  the  materials  when  col- 
lected, and  well  understood  discipline  and  church  gov- 
ernment. 


Marshall  travels  south.  4 1 

Marshall's  impressions  led  him  to  travel  farther  south* 
Accordingly,  after  prosecuting  his  successful  ministry  a 
few  years  in  North-Carolina,  and  the  neighbouring  parts 
of  Virginia,  he  took  an  affectionate  leave  of  the  church 
over  which  he  presided,  and  of  his  friends  in  that  re- 
gion,  and  settled  on  Beaver-Creek,  in  South-Carolina, 
not  far  from  2OO  miles  to  the  north-west  of  Charles- 
ton. Marshall,  after  tarrying  a  few  years  at  different 
places  in  South-Carolina,  and  having  been  the  instru- 
ment of  raising  up  a  number  of  churches,  and  laying 
the  foundation  for  many  others,  in  1771  removed  to 
Georgia,  and  settled  on  the  Hioka-creek,  about  18  miles 
to  the  west  of  Augusta,  where  a  church  was  soon  gather- 
ed by  his  means,  as  some  of  his  brethren  had  removed 
into  that  place  before  him.  Mr.  Marshall  was  accom- 
panied by  a  few  of  the  North-Carolina  Separates,  on  his 
removal  from  them,  and  was  soon  followed  by  others.) 
among  whom  were  some  ministers^  particularly  Joseph 
Breed  and  Philip  Mulky,  the  last  of  whom  was,  for  ma- 
ny years,  a  very  famous  and  successful  preacher  in 
South- Carolina  ;  and  by  the  labours  of  those  preachers 
and  some  others,  who  were  soon  raised  up  in  the  parts, 
seven  churches  were  gathered  by  the  year  1770,  some 
of  which  were  very  large,  and  consisted  of  a  num- 
ber of  branches,  which  were  shortly  after  formed  into 
distinct  churches* 

While  Marshall  was  sojourning  southward,  and  plant- 
ing churches  in  the  various  places  where  he  pitched  his 
frequent  habitations,  Harris  bent  his  course  to  the  north- 
ward, amongst  his  rude  and  insolent  countrymen  the 
Virginians  ;  and  while  his  brethren  were  thus  engaged 
to  the  north  and  south  of  him,  Stearns  maintained  his 
station  at  Sandy-creek,  where  his  labours  were  greatly 
blessed ;  he  however  often  travelled  a*considerable  dis- 
tance in  the  country  around,  to  assist  in  organizing  and 
regulating  the  churches  which  he  and  his  associates  were 
instrumental  in  raising  up.  Thus  the  Separate  Baptists  " 
were  headed  by  three  most  distinguished  men  ;  distin- 
guished not  for  human  acquirements,  but  for  purity  of 
life,  and  godly  simplicity,  which  they,  amidst  the  ship- 
wrecks of  many,  maintained  to  the  end  ;  and  for  a  pious 
ardour  and  invincible  boldness  and  perseverance  in  their 

VOL.  2.  6 


42       Remarkable  Things  of  the  Sandy-creek  Church. 

Master's  service.  Other  preachers  were  soon  raised  up 
under  their  ministry,  whose  zealous  and  abundant  la- 
bours were  crowned  with  great  success,  so  that  the  Sep- 
arates, in  a  few  years  became  truly  a  great  people,  and 
their  churches  were  scattered  over  a  country  whose 
whole  extent  from  north  to  south,  was  about  50O  miles  ; 
and  Sandy-creek  church,  the  mother  of  them  all,  was 
not  far  from  the  centre  of  the  two  extremes. 

"  Very  remarkable  things  (said  Morgan  Edwards,  in 
1775)  may  be  said  of  this  church,  worthy  a  place  in  Gil- 
lis's  book,  and  inferior  to  no  instance  he  gives  of  the 
modern  success  of  the  gospel  in  different  parts  of  the 
world.  It  began  with  16  souls,  and  in  a  short  time  in- 
creased to  606,  spreading  its  branches  to  Deep-river  and 
Abbot's-creek,  which  branches  are  gone  to  other  prov- 
inces, and  most  of  the  members  of  this  church  have  fol- 
lowed them  ;  insomuch,  that  in  17  years  it  is  reduced 
from  606  to  1 4  souls.  The  cause  of  this  dispersion  was 
the  abuse  of  power  which  too  much  prevailed  in  the 
province,  and  caused  the  inhabitants  at  last  to  rise  up  in 
arms,  and  fight  for  their  privileges ;  but  being  routed, 

.  May  16,  1771,  they  despaired  of  seeing  better  times,  and 
therefore  quitted  the  province.  It  is  said  150O  families 
departed  since  the  battle  of  Almance,  and,  to  my  knowl- 
edge, a  great  many  more  are  only  waiting  to  dispose  of 
their  plantations,  in  order  to  follow  them.  This  is  to 
me  an  argument,  that  their  grievances  were  real,  and 
their  oppression  great,  notwithstanding  all  that  has  been 
said  to  the  contrary. 

"  The  church  at  Little-river  was  no  less  remarkable 
than  the  one  already  mentioned ;  for  this  was  constitut- 
ed in  1760,  five  years  after  the  Sandy-creek,  and  in 
three  years  it  increased  from  5  to  500,  and  built  five 
meeting-houses  ;  but  this  church  was  also  reduced  by 
the  provincial  troubles  and  consequent  dispersion  of  the 
inhabitants,  mentioned  above. 

vl  "  But  to  return.  Sandy-creek  church  is  the  mother  of 
all  the  Separate  Baptists.  From  this  Zion  went  forth  the 
word,  and  great  was  the  company  of  them  who  published 
it.  This  church, in  seventeen  years, has  spread  her  branch- 
es westward  as  far  as  the  great  river  Missisippi ;  south- 
ward as  far  as  Georgia;  eastward  to  the  sea  and  Chesapeak 


Samuel  Harris's  Labours  in  Virginia.  4*3 

Bay  j  and  northward  to  the  waters  of  Potomack  ;  it,  in 
seventeen  years,  is  become  mother,  grandmother,  and 
great-grandmother,  to  42  churches,  from  which  sprang 
125  ministers,  many  of  which  are  ordained  and  support 
the  sacred  character,  as  well  as  any  set  of  clergy  in 
America  ;  and  if  some  have  turned  out  bad,  where  is 
there  a  set  of  clergy  that  can  throw  the  first  stone,  and 
say,  "  We  all  are  good  ?"  As  for  the  outcries,  epilepsies, 
and  ecstasies  attending  their  ministry,  they  are  not  pe- 
culiar to  them ;  the  New-England  Presbyterians  had 
these  long  before  ;  and  in  Virginia  it  is  well  known, 
that  the  same  effects  attend  the  ministry  of  some  clergy- 
men of  the  church  of  England,  particularly  Rev.  Messrs. 
Derreaux  Garret,  and  Archibald  M'Roberts.  The  en- 
chantment of  sounds,  attended  with  corresponding  ac- 
tions, have  produced  greater  effects  than  these  ;  though 
I  believe  a  preternatural  and  invisible  hand  works  in  the 
assemblies  of  the  Separate  Baptists,  bearing  down  the  hu- 
man mind,  as  was  the  case  in  primitive  churches.  1 
Cor.  xiv.  25." 

But  Virginia,  in  about  ten  years  after  their  settle- 
ment, became,  to  the  Separates,  their  principal  scene  of 
action,  of  suffering,  and  success.  Their  movements 
here,  we  shall  now  proceed  to  state ;  being  prepared, 
from  Semple's  History,  to  give  a  more  extensive  and 
circumstantial  account  of  them,  in  this,  than  in  the  oth- 
er States. 

Harris  seemed  destined  of  God  to  labour  more  ex- 
tensively in  Virginia,  than  in  any  other  State.  And 
having  done  much  good  in  his  own  neighbourhood, 
in  the  year  1765,  the  time  arrived  for  him  to  extend 
his  labours.  In  January  of  this  year,  Allen  Wyley,  an 
inhabitant  of  Culpepper,  and  who  had  been  baptized  by 
David  Thomas,  hearing  of  the  Separate  Baptist  preach- 
ers, travelled  as  far  as  Pittsylvania,  in  order  to  get  one 
or  more  of  them  to  come  and  preach  in  his  own  county. 
He  travelled  on,  scarcely  knowing  whither  he  went ; 
but  an  unseen  hand  directed  his  course.  He  providen- 
tially fell  in  with  one  of  Mr.  Harris's  meetings.  When  he 
came  into  the  meeting-house,  Mr.  H.  fixed  his  eyes  upon 
him,  being  impressed  previously,  that  he  had  some  ex- 
traordinary message.  He  asked  him  whence  he  came,  &c. 
Mr.  W.  told  him  his  errand.  Upon  which,  after  some 


44-  Samuel  Harris's  Success  in  Preaching. 

deliberation,  believing  him  to  be  sent  of  God,  Mr.  H. 
agreed  to  go.  Taking  three  days  to  prepare,  he  set  out 
with  Wyley,  having  no  meetings  on  the  way,  yet  ex- 
horting and  praying  at  every  house  where  he  went. 

Arriving  in  Culpepper,  his  first  meeting  was  at  Wy- 
ley's  own  house.  He  preached  the  first  day  without  in- 
terruption, and  made  appointments  for  the  next.  But 
when  he  began  his  meeting,  such  violent  opposition  was 
made  by  a  company,  who  appeared  with  whips,  sticks, 
clubs,  and  other  rustick  weapons,  as  to  hinder  his  la- 
bours ;  in  consequence  of  which,  he  went,  that  night, 
over  to  Orange  county,  and  preached  with  much  effect. 
He  continued  many  days  preaching  from  place  to  place, 
atrended  by  great  crowds,  and  followed  throughout  his 
meetings  by  several  persons  who  had  been  either  lately 
converted,  or  seriously  awakened,  under  the  ministry  of 
the  Regular  Baptists,  and  also  by  many  who  had  been 
alarmed  by  his  own  labours.  When  Mr.  Harris  left 
them,  he  exhorted  them  to  be  stedfast,  and  advised 
some  in  whom  he  discovered  talents,  to  commence  the 
exercise  of  their  gifts,  and  to  hold  meetings  among 
themselves.  In  this  ministerial  journey,  Mr.  Harris 
sowed  much  good  seed,  which  yielded  afterwards  great 
increase.  The  young  converts  took  his  advice,  and  be- 
gan to  hold  meetings  every  Sabbath,  and  almost  every 
night  in  the  week,  taking  a  tobacco-house  for  their 
meeting-house.  After  proceeding  in  this  way  for  some 
time,  they  applied  to  Mr.  David  Thomas,  who  lived 
somewhere  north  of  the  Rappahannock,  to  come  and 
preach  for  them,  and  teach  them  the  ways  of  God  more 
perfectly  ;  he  came,  but  in  his  preaching  expressed  some 
disapprobation  of  the  preaching  of  sucli  weak  and  illite- 
rate persons.  This  was  like  throwing  cold  water  upon 
their  flaming  zeal ;  they  took  umbrage,  and  resolved  to 
send  once  more  for  Mr.  Harris.  Some  time  in  the  year 
1766,  and  a  short  time  after  Mr.  Thomas's  preaching, 
three  of  the  party,  viz.  Elijah  Craig  and  two  others, 
travelled  to  Mr.  Harris's  house,  in  order  to  procure  his 
services  in  Orange  and  the  adjacent  parts,  to  preach  and 
baptize  the  new  converts.  They  found,  to  their  sur- 
prise, that  he  had  not  been  ordained  to  the  administra- 
tion of  the  ordinances.  To  remedy  this  inconve^ 


James  Read,  of  North-Carolina.  4s 

liience,  he  carried  them  about  60  miles  into  North-Car- 
olina to  get  James  Read,  who  was  ordained. 

There  is  something  singular  in  the  exercise  of  Mr. 
Read  about  this  time.  He  was  impressed  with  au 
opinion  that  he  had  frequent  teachings  from  God  ;  and 
indeed,  from  the  account  given  by  himself,  we  musr 
either  doubt  his  veracity,  or  admit  that  his  impressions 
were  supernatural.  He  declares  that  respecting  his 
preaching  in  Virginia,  for  many  weeks,  he  had  no  rest 
in  his  spirit.  Asleep  or  awake,  he  felt  his  soul  earn- 
estly impressed  with  strong  desires  to  go  to  Virginia,  to 
preach  the  gospel.  In  his  dreams  he  thought  that  God 
would  often  shew  him  large  congregations  of  Virginians 
assembled  to  hear  preaching.  He  was  sometimes  heard 
by  his  family  to  cry  out  in  his  sleep,  "  O  Virginia  !  Vir- 
ginia !  Virginia  1"  Mr.  Graves,  a  member  of  his 
church,  a  good  man,  discovering  his  anxiety,  and  believ- 
ing his  impressions  to  be  from  God,  offered  to  accom- 
pany him.  Just  as  they  were  preparing  to  set  out, 
Mr.  Harris  and  the  three  messengers  mentioned  above, 
came  for  him  to  go  with  them.  The  circumstances  so 
much  resemble  Peter's  call  from  Joppa  to  Caesarea, 
that  we  can  hardly  for  a  moment  hesitate  in  placing 
implicit  confidence  in  its  being  a  contrivance  of  Di- 
vine Wisdom. 

Mr.  Read  agreed  to  go,  without  much  hesitation. 
One  of  the  messengers  from  Spottsylvania  went  on  to 
appoint  meetings  on  the  way.  The  two  preachers,  after 
filling  up  some  appointments  in  their  own  parts,  pursued 
their  contemplated  journey,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Graves 
and  the  other  two.  In  about  two  weeks  they  arrived 
in  Orange,  within  the  bounds  of  Blue-Run  Church,  as 
it  now  stands.  When  they  came  in  sight,  and  saw  a 
very  large  congregation,  they  were  greatly  affected. 
After  a  few  minutes  of  prayer  and  reflection,  they  re- 
covered their  courage,  and  entered  upon  their  great 
work.  They  preached  with  much  effect  on  that  day. 
The  next  day  they  preached  at  Elijah  Craig's,  where  ii 
vast  crowd  attended.  David  Thomas  and  John  Garrard. 
both  preachers  of  the  Regular  Order,  were  at  this 
meeting.  The  ministers  on  both  sides  seemed  desirous 
to  unite,  but  the  people  were  against  it ;  the  larger  par; 


46         Revivals  of  Religion  'under  ReaC  and  Harris. 

siding  with  the  Separates.  As  they  could  not  unite, 
the  next  day  being  Sabbath,  both  parties  held  meetings 
but  a  small  distance  from  each  other.  Baptism  was  ad- 
ministered by  both.  These  things  widened  the  breach. 
Messrs.  Read  and  Harris,  however,  continued  their 
ministrations.  Mr.  Read  baptized  19  the  first  day,  and 
more  on  the  days  following.  They  went  through  Spott- 
sylyania  into  the  upper  parts  of  Caroline,  Hanover,  and 
Goochland,  sowing  the  seeds  of  grace  and  peace  in  many 
places.  So  much  were  they  inspirited  by  these  meet- 
ing*, that  they  made  appointments  to  come  again  the 
next  year.  In  their  second  visit,  they  were  accompa- 
nied by  the  Rev.  Dutton  Lane,  who  assisted  them  in 
constituting  and  organizing  the  first  Separate  Baptist 
church  between  the  Rappahannock  and  James-river. 
This  took  place  on  the  20th  of  November,  1767.  The 
church  was  called  Upper  Spottsylvania,  and  consisted  of 
25  members,  including  all  the  Separate  Baptists  north  of 
James-river.  This  was  a  mother  to  many  other 
churches. 

Read  and  Harris  continued  to  visit  these  parts  for 
about  three  years,  with  wonderful  effect.  In  one  of 
their  visits,  they  baptized  75  at  one  time,  and  in  the 
course  of  one  of  their  journies,  which  generally  lasted 
several  weeks,  they  baptized  upwards  of  20O.  It  was 
not  uncommon,  at  their  great  meetings,  for  many  hun- 
dreds of  men  to  encamp  on  the  ground,  in  order  to  be 
present  the  next  day.  The  night  meetings,  through  the 
great  work  of  God,  continued  very  late  j  the  ministers 
would  scarcely  have  an  opportunity  to  sleep.  Some- 
times the  floor  would  be  covered  with  persons  struck 
down  under  the  conviction  of  sin.  It  frequently  hap- 
pened, that  when  they  would  retire  to  rest  at  a  late 
hour,  they  would  be  under  the  necessity  of  arising 
again,  through  the  earnest  cries  of  the  penitent.  There 
were  instances  of  persons  travelling  more  than  one  hun- 
dred miles  to  one  of  these  meetings ;  to  go  forty  or 
fifty  was  not  uncommon. 

On  account  of  the  great  increase  of  members,  through 
the  labours  of  Messrs.  Read  and  Harris,  aided  by  a  num- 
ber of  young  preachers,  it  was  found  necessary  to  con- 
stitute several  other  churches. 


Great  Success  of  the  Separates  in  Virginia.  47 

Read  and  Harris,  particularly  the  latter,  were  men  of 
great  zeal  and  indefatigable  diligence  and  perseverance 
in  their  Master's  cause.  Their  spirit  was  caught  by- 
many  of  the  young  prophets  in  Orange  and  Spottsylva- 
nia.  Lewis  and  Elijah  Craig,  John  Waller,  James 
Childs,  John  Burrus,  and  others,  animated  by  an  ardent 
desire  for  the  advancement  of  their  Master's  kingdom, 
sallied  forth  in  every  direction,  spreading  the  tidings  of 
peace  and  salvation  wherever  they  went.  Most  of  them 
illiterate,  yet  illumined  by  the  wisdom  from  above,  they 
would  defend  and  maintain  the  cause  of  truth,  against 
the  arguments  of  the  most  profound.  Without  visible 
sword  or  buckler,  they  moved  on  steady  to  their  pur- 
pose, undismayed  by  the  terrifick  hosts  of  Satan,  which 
were  backed  by  the  strong  arm  of  civil  authority.  Magis- 
trates and  mobs,  priests  and  sheriffs,  courts  and  prisons, 
all  vainly  combined  to  divert  them  from  their  object. 

Their  labours  were  not  limited  to  their  own  counties. 
In  Goochland,  Messrs.  Harris  and  Read  had  baptized 
several ;  among  whom  was  Reuben  Ford,  who  had  pro- 
fessed vital  faith  about  seven  years  before,  under  the 
ministry  of  the  renowned  Whitefield  and  Davis.  Mr. 
Ford  was  baptized  in  the  year  1769,  by  James  Read. 

These  plants  were  watered  by  the  labours  of  the  Spott- 
sylvania  preachers,  particularly  J.  Waller,  who,  early  in 
his  visits  to  Goochland,  baptized  William  Webber  anc' 
Joseph  Anthony,  who,  with  Reuben  Ford,  had  been  ex- 
horting, &c.  previous  to  their  being  baptized.  By  the 
united  labours  of  these  several  servants  of  God,  the 
work  of  godliness  progressed  in  Goochland  and  round 
about.  These  young  preachers  were  no  sooner  capti- 
vated by  the  King  of  Zion,  than  they  immediately  be- 
gan to  fight  under  his  banner.  Their  success  was  equal 
to  their  diligence ;  many  believed,  and  were  baptized  in 
Goochland  j  insomuch  that  they  thoughtthemselves  ripe 
for  an  independent  government,  and  were  according- 
ly constituted  as  a  church,  towards  the  last  of  the  year 
1771,  which  received  the  name  of  the  county  in  which 
it  was  situated,  and  contained  about  75  members.  This 
was  the  mother  church  of  those  parts,  for  from  it  have 
been  since  constituted  several  others,  particularly  Dover 
and  Licking-hole.  William  Webber  became  pastor  of 


48     The  Gospel  published,  attended  with  Persecutions. 

Dover  church,  which  office  he  held  until  his  death  in  1 808, 
Reuben  Ford  administered  the  word  and  ordinances  to 
Goochland  and  Licking-hole. 

One  William  Mullin,  afterwards  an  useful  preacher, 
had  moved  from  Middlesex  and  settled  in  the  county  of 
Amelia.  When  the  gospel  reached  his  neighbourhoodj 
Mr.  Mullin  cordially  embraced  it.  Going  afterwards, 
in  1769,  on  a  visit  to  his  relations  in  Middlesex  and  Es- 
sex, by  arguments  drawn  from  the  scripture,  he  COH- 
vinced  his  brother  John,  and  his.  brother-in-law  James 
Greenwood,  with  several  others,  of  the  necessity  of  be- 
ing born  again.  Of  these,  some  found  peace  in  believ- 
ing, before  they  ever  heard  the  gospel  publickly  preach- 
ed. November,  1 770,  John  Waller  andj  John  Burrus 
came  down  and  preached  in  Middlesex.  They  continu- 
ed preaching  at  and  near  the  same  place  for  three 
days  ;  great  crowds  came  out.  Waller  baptized  five  ; 
but  persecution  began  to  rage.  Some  said  they  were 
deceivers  ;  others  that  they  were  good  men.  On  the 
second  day,  a  magistrate  attempted  to  pull  Waller  off 
the  stage,  but  the  clergyman  of  the  parish  prevented 
it.  The  next  day  a  man  threw  a  stone  at  Waller 
while  he  was  preaching ;  but  the  stone  missed  him, 
and  struck  a  friend  of  the  man  who  threw  it.  James 
Greenwood  and  others  now  began  to  hold  publick  meet- 
ings by  day  and  by  night  j  much  good  was  done  by 
them.  Many  believed,  and  only  waited  an  opportunity 
to  be  baptized,  there  being  no  ordained  preacher  near- 
er than  Spottsylvania. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  labourers  had  not  been  idle  in 
that  part  of  the  vineyard  south  of  James-river.  The  two 
Murphies,  viz.  William  and  Joseph,  aided  by  the  inde- 
fatigable Samuel  Harris,  had  carried  the  gospel  into  some 
of  the  counties  above  Pittsylvania,  where  Robert  Stock- 
ton and  some  other  preachers  were  raised  up.  Mr. 
Harris,  James  Read,  Jeremiah  Walker,  and  others,  had 
proclaimed  the  tidings  of  peace  in  Halifax,  Charlotte, 
Lunenburg,  Mecklenburg,  Amelia,  and  almost  all  the 
counties  to  the  west  of  Richmond,  on  the  south  side  of 
James-river.  In  these  gatherings,  there  were  many  use- 
ful and  several  eminent  ministers  of  the  gospel  brought 
in,  particularly  John  Williams,  John  King,  James  Shel- 


Sandy- creek  Association  formed.  49 

bu'rne,  Henry  Lester,  with  some  others.  The  gospdl 
was  first  carried  to  these  places  much  in  the  same  way 
as  it  was  into  Culpepper  and  Spottsylvania,  viz.  in  con- 
sequence of  a  special  message  to  the  preachers  from  some 
of  the  inhabitants.  They  constituted  the  first  church 
in  1769,  with  about  forty  members,  which  was  called 
Nottoway.  Jeremiah  Walker  soon  moved  and  took  the 
pastoral  care  of  it  *.  he  had  been  preaching  some  time  be* 
fore  this,  in  North-Carolina,  his  native  State  ;  but'  notf/ 
moving  to  Virginia,  he  for  several  years  acted  a  conspic- 
uous part  in  the  concerns  of  the  Virginia  Baptists. 

In  the  year  1758,  three  years  after  Stearns  and  his 
company  settled  at  Sandy-creek,  a  few  churches  hav- 
ing been  constituted,  and  these  having  a  number 
of  branches  which  were  fast  maturing  for  churches, 
Stearns  conceived  that  an  Association  composed  of  dele- 
gates from  them  all,  would  have  a  tendency  to  forward 
the  great  object  of  their  exertions.  For  this  purpose  he 
visited  each  church  and  congregation,  and  explaining  to 
them  his  contemplated  plan,  induced  them  all  to  send 
delegates  to  his  meeting-house  in  January,  1758,  when 
an  Association  was  formed,  which  was  called  Sandy-cresk^ 
and  which  continues  to  the  present  time ;  but  it  has  ex- 
perienced many  vicissitudes  of  prosperity  and  adversity  ; 
and  at  one  time,  on  account  of  exercising  too  much 
power  over  the  churches,  it  became  much  embarrassed  in. 
its  movements,  and  very  near  to  extinction. 

For  twelve  years,  all  the  Separate  Baptists  in  Virginia 
and  the  two  Carolinas,  continued  in  connexion  with 
this  Association,  which  was  generally  held  at  no  great 
distance  from  the  place  where  it  originated.  All  who 
could,  travelled  from  its  remote  extremities,  to  attend 
its  yearly  sessions,  which  were  conducted  with  great 
harmony,  and  afforded  sufficient  edification  to  induce 
them  to  undertake  with  cheerfulness  these  long  and  la- 
borious journies.  By  the  means  of  these  meetings,  the 
gospel  was  carried  into  many  new  places,  where  the 
fame  of  the  Baptists  had  previously  spread  ;  for  great 
crowds  attending  from  distant  parts,  mostly  through 
curiosity,  many  became  enamoured  with  these  extraor- 
dinary people,  and  petitioned  the  Association  to  send 
preachers  into  their  neighbourhoods.  These  petitions 
VOL.  2.  7 


50  John  Gano  visits  the  Association* 

were  readily  granted,  and  the  preachers  as  readily  com- 
plied with  the  appointments.  These  people  were  so 
much  engaged  in  their  evangelical  pursuits,  that  they 
had  no  time  to  spend  in  theological  debates,  nor  were 
they  very  scrupulous  about  the  mode  of  conducting 
their  meetings.  When  assembled,  their  chief  employ- 
ment was  preaching,  exhortation,  singing,  and  convers- 
ing about  their  various  exertions  in  the  Redeemer's  ser- 
vice, the  success  which  had  attended  them,  and  the  new 
and  prosperous  scenes  which  were  opening  before  them. 
These  things  so  inflamed  the  hearts  of  the  ministers, 
that  they  would  leave  the  Association  with  a  zeal  and 
courage,  which  no  common  obstacles  could  impede. 

"  At  our  first  Association,  (says  the  MS.  of  James 
Read,  who  was  present)  we  continued  together  three  or 
four  days.  Great  crowds  of  people  attended,  mostly 
through  curiosity.  The  great  power  of  God  was  among 
us.  The  preaching  every  day,  seemed  to  be  attended 
with  God's  blessing.  We  carried  on  our  Association 
with  sweet  decorum  and  fellowship  to  the  end.  Then 
we  took  leave  of  one  another,  with  many  solemn  charg- 
es from  ooir  reverend  old  father  Shubael  Stearns,  to 
stand  fast  unto  the  end." 

At  their  next  Association  they  were  visited  by  Rev. 
John  Gano,  who  at  that  time  resided  in  North-Carolina, 
at  a  place  called  the  Jersey  settlements.  Mr.  Gano  was 
received  by  Stearns  with  great  affection  ;  but  as  there 
was  at  that  time  an  unhappy  shyness  and  jealousy  be- 
tween the  Regulars  and  Separates,  by  the  others  he  was 
treated  with  coldness  and  suspicion  j  and  they  even  re- 
fused to  invite  him  into  their  Association.  But  Mr.  Gano 
had  too  much  knowledge  of  mankind,  humility  and 
good  nature,  to  be  offended  at  this  treatment.  He  con- 
tinued a  while  as  a  spectator  of  their  proceedings,  and 
then  retired  with  a  view  of  returning  home.  Stearns 
was  much  hurt  and  mortified  with  the  shyness  and  in- 
civility of  his  brethren,  and,  in  the  absence  of  Mr.  Gano3 
expostulated  with  them  on  the  matter,  and  made  a 
proposition  to  invite  him  to  preach  with  them.  AH 
were  forward  to  invite  him  to  preach,  although  they 
could  not  invite  him  to  a  seat  in  their  Assembly.  With 
their  invitation  he  cheerfully  complied,  and  his  preach- 


His  acceptable  Preaching.  51 

ing,  though  not  with  the  New-Light  tones  and  gestures, 
was  in  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  with  power.  He 
continued  with  them  to  the  close  of  their  session,  and 
preached  frequently,  much  to  their  astonishment,  as  well 
as  edification.  Their  hearts  were  soon  opened  towards 
him,  and  their  cold  indifference  and  languid  charity 
were,  before  he  left  them,  enlarged  into  a  warm  attach- 
ment and  cordial  affection.  And  so  superior  did  his 
preaching  talents  appear  to  them,  that  the  young  and 
illiterate  preachers  said  they  felt  as  if  they  could  never 
attempt  to  preach  again. 

This  Association  continued  to  progress  with  great  har- 
mony and  prosperity,  without  any  special  occurrence, 
until  1769,  when  the  Ketockton  Association  of  Regular 
Baptists,  desirous  of  effecting  an  union  with  them, 
(which  had  before  been  unsuccessfully  attempted)  by 
compromising  those  little  matters  of  difference,  which 
had  unhappily  prevented  their  communion  with  each 
other,  sent,  as  messengers  for  the  purpose,  the  Rev. 
Messrs.  Garret,  Major,  and  Saunders,  with  a  letter  of 
which  the  following  is  an  extract : — 

"  Beloved  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 

"  The  bearers  of  this  letter  can  acquaint  you  with  the 
design  of  writing  it.  Their  errand  is  peace,  and  their 
business  is  a  reconciliation  between  us,  if  there  is  any  dif- 
ference subsisting.  If  we  are  all  Christians,  all  Baptists, 
all  New-Lights,  why  are  we  divided  ?  Must  the  little  ap- 
pellative names,  Regular  and  Separate,  break  the  golden 
band  of  charity,  and  set  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Zion 
at  variance  ?  "  Behold  how  good  and  how  pleasant  it  is  for 
brethren  to  dwell  together  in  unity"  but  how  bad  and  how 
bitter  it  is  for  them  to  live  asunder  in  discord !  To  in- 
dulge ourselves  in  prejudice,  is  soon  a  disorder ;  and  to 
quarrel  about  nothing,  is  irregularity  with  a  witness. 
O,  our  dear  brethren,  endeavour  to  prevent  this  calam- 
ity for  the  future." 

This  excellent  letter  was  presented  to  the  Association, 
and  after  a  lengthy  debate,  the  proposal  for  an  union 
was  rejected  by  a  small  majority. 

Their  answer  to  the  Regulars  was,  "  Excuse  us  in 
love  5  for  we  are  acquainted  with  our  own  order,  but 


.52  Impnpsr  Authority  cf  an  Association. 

not  so  well  with  yours  ;  and  if  there  is  a  difference,  we 
might  ignorantly  jump  into  that  which  will  make  us 
rue  it,  &c." 

At  the  meeting  of  this  body,  in  1770,  their  harmony 
was  interrupted  and  their  assembly  assumed  a  new  and 
unpleasant  appearance,  and  the  division  of  the  Associa- 
ation,  which  convenience  would  have  dictated,  was  now 
effected  from  painful  necessity.  It  had  been  usual  with 
them  to  do  nothing  in  Associations,  but  by  unanimity. 
If  in  any  measure  proposed,  there  was  a  single  dissen- 
tient, they  laboured  first  by  arguments  to  come  to  unan- 
imous agreement ;  when  arguments  failed,  they  resort- 
ed to  frequent  prayer,  in  which  all  joined.  When  both 
these  failed,  they  sometimes  appointed  the  next  day  for 
fasting  and  prayer,  and  to  strive  to  bring  all  to  be  of 
one  mind.  At  this  session  they  split  in  their  first  busi- 
ness ;  nothing  could  be  done  on  the  first  day.  They 
appointed  the  next  for  fasting  and  prayer.  They  met 
and  laboured  the  whole  day,  and  could  do  nothing,  not 
even  appoint  a  Moderator.  The  third  day  was  appoint- 
ed for  the  same  purpose,  and  to  be  observed  in  the  same 
way.  They  met  early,  and  continued  together  until 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  without  having  accom- 
plished any  thing.  A  proposal  was  then  made,  that  the 
Association  should  be  divided  into  three  districts,  that 
is,  one  in  each  State.  To  this  there  was  an  unanimous 
consent  at  once. 

"  The  cause  of  this  division,  (says  Mr.  Edwards)  was 
partly  convenience,  but  it  was  chiefly  owing  to  a  mistake 
which  this  Association  fell  into,  relative  to  their  power 
and  jurisdiction.  They  had  carried  matters  so  high  as  to 
leave  hardly  any  power  in  particular  churches,  unfellow- 
shipping  ordinations,  ministers,  and  churches  that  acted 
independent  of  them  ;  and  pleading,  "  that  though 
"  complete  power  be  in  every  church,  yet  every  church 
"  can  transfer  it  to  an  Association  ;"  which  is  as  much  as 
to  say,  that  a  man  may  take  out  his  eyes,  ears,  &c.  and 
give  them  to  another,  to  see,  hear,  &c.  for  him ;  for 
if  power  be  fixed  by  Christ  in  a  particular  church,  they 
cannot  transfer  it ;  nay,  should  th?y  formally  give  it 
away,  yet  is  it  not  gone  away.'1 


Its  Division  the  Consequence.  53 

The  good  old  Mr.  Stearns,  who  was  not  wholly  di- 
vested of  those  maxims  which  he  had  imbibed  from  the 
traditions  of  his  fathers,  is  said  to  have  been  the  princi- 
pal promoter  of  this  improper  stretch  of  associational 
power,  which,  however,  was  soon  abandoned  by  those, 
who,  for  a  time,  tampered  with  it,  to  their  embarrass- 
ment and  injury. 

How  many  communicants  were  comprehended  in 
this  Association,  at  the  time  of  its  division,  I  have  not 
been  able  to  ascertain  ;  but  they  must  have  been  consid- 
erably numerous.  The  division  was  made  in  the  follow- 
ing manner.  The  churches  in  South-Carolina  formed 
an  Association  by  the  name  of  Congaree  ;  those  in  North- 
Carolina  were  still  known  by  the  name  of  Sandy-creek  ; 
while  those  in  Virginia  formed  an  Association  which  was 
at  first  called  Rapid-ann,  but  was  more  commonly  distin- 
guished by  the  name  of  the  General  Association  of  Sep- 
arate Baptists. 

We  are  now  prepared  to  treat  wholly  of  the  Separates 
in  Virginia,  as  the  history  of  those  in  the  other  States 
will  be  related  under  their  respective  heads. 

The  Association  which  originated  in  the  manner  above 
described,  embraced  all  the  Separate  Baptists  in  Virginia, 
except  a  very  few  churches,  which  were  dismissed  from 
it  in  1776,  to  form  the  Strawberry  Association,  for  the 
space  of  twelve  years,  viz.  until,  the  year  1783,  when  it 
was  by  mutual  consent  divided.  From  this  Association, 
as  from  a  fruitful  mother,  have  originated  most  of  the 
present  Associations  in  Virginia.  And  although  there 
was  one  temporary  division  by  mutual  consent,  and  an- 
other occasioned  by  the  discussion  of  an  important  sub- 
ject, which  will  soon  be  mentioned  ;  yet,  generally  speak- 
ing, it  continued  a  united,  prosperous,  and  even  power- 
ful body,  through  all  the  calamitous  scenes  of  the  revo- 
lutionary war  ;  and  to  them,  the  more  afflictive  scenes  of 
persecution,  which  for  a  number  of  years  were  carried 
to  a  high  degree  in  Virginia,  to  which  the  Separates, 
more  than  the  Regulars,  were  exposed. 

A  brief  account  of  the  proceedings  of  the  General  As- 
sociation during  the  twelve  years  of  its  existing  as  such, 
now  be  given. 


5\;  Discussion  of  a  novel  Question. 

It  has  already  been  observed,  that  the  division  of  the 
Sandy-creek  Association  took  place  in  the  year  177O, 
and  the  next  year,  the  one  under  consideration  was  or- 
ganized;  at  which  time  it  contained  14  churches,  and 
1335  members.  These  14  churches  were  scattered  in 
almost  as  many  counties,  and  many  of  them  were  pretty 
high  up  in  the  State,  both  as  it  respected  the  sea-coast, 
and  its  southern  boundary  ;  the  most  of  them,  however, 
were  situated  on  the  south  of  James-river. 

At  the  organization  of  this  Association,  they  adopted 
a  set  of  rules  for  the  regulation  of  their  body,  which 
consisted  of  nine  articles,  and  the  first  and  most  impor- 
tant of  them,  which  restricted  the  Association  within 
proper  bounds,  was  as  follows : 

"  It  is  unanimously  agreed  that  this  Association  has 
no  power  or  authority  to  impose  any  thing  upon  the 
churches,  but  that  we  act  as  an  advisory  council." 

In  1773,  the  Association  had  increased  to  34  churches, 
which  contained  3195  members. 

We  are  now  about  to  relate  an  affair  which  took 
place  in  this  body,  which  will  probably  produce  mixed 
emotions  in  the  mind  of  the  reader.  The  following 
query,  viz.  "  Are  all  the  offices  of  Apostles,  Prophets, 
Evangelists,  Pastors,  and  Teachers,  mentioned  in  Ephe- 
sians,  4th  chapter,  and  llth  verse,  now  in  use  ?"  had 
been  introduced  at  a  previous  session  of  the  Association, 
when,  after  spending  two  days  in  debating  upon  it,  they 
agreed  to  defer  their  decision  on  the  subject,  until  their 
next  session.  During  the  recess  of  the  Association,  as 
well  as  when  it  was  assembled,  this  novel  subject  was 
discussed  by  many,  with  no  little  warmth  and  interest. 
It  appears  to  have  been  first  agitated  by  Jeremiah  Walker, 
who  laboured  hard,  both  in  publick  and  private,  to  defend 
and  propagate  his  sentiments.  He  even  wrote  a  piece 
upon  the  subject,  entitled,  Free  Thoughts,  &c.  in  which 
he  ingeniously  maintained  that  .Apostles,  together  with 
all  the  other  oiBces  enumerated  in  Ephesians,  &C.1  were 
still  to  be  maintained  in  the  church.  Reuben  Ford  took 
an  active  part  against  Walker,  and  vrote  a  pamphlet  in 
opposition  to  his  scheme.  Both  of  tht-se  men  were  fol- 
lowed by  large  and  respectable  parties,  and  both  of  their 
pamphlets  were  read  before  the  Association  in  1774, 


Appointment  of  an  Apostle.  55 

when  the  query  was  again  introduced,  and  the  debates 
upon  it  resumed.  But  the  majority  favouring  Walker's 
speculations,  an  almost  unanimous  vote  was  obtained  to 
carry  them  into  practical  operation.  Having  thus  re- 
solved, they,  in  the  first  place,  proceeded  to  choose  one 
from  among  them,  to  officiate  in  the  dignified  character 
of  an  Apostle.  Walker  had  been  suspected  of  vain  and 
ambitious  views  in  pleading  so  hard  for  the  establish- 
ment of  this  office  ;  but  whatever  were  his  desires  and 
expectations,  the  venerable  Samuel  Harris,  who  was  now 
about  50  years  of  age,  was,  by  the  unanimous  voice  of 
the  Association,  elected  an  Apostle.  He  acccepted  the 
appointment,  and  was  immediately  ordained  to  the  Apos- 
tolic function.  His  ordination,  as  appears  by  their  Min- 
utes, was  conducted  in  the  following  manner :  "  The 
day  being  set  apart  as  a  fast  day,  we  immediately  pro- 
ceeded to  ordain  him,  and  the  hands  of  every  ordained 
minister  were  laid  upon  him.*  Publick  prayer  was  made 
by  John  Waller,  Elijah  Craig,  and  John  Williams.  John 
Waller  gave  a  publick  charge,  and  the  whole  Association 
gave  him  the  right  hand  of  fellowship."  The  work  as- 
signed to  this  Apostle,  was  to  pervade  the  churches,  for 
the  purpose  of  performing,  or  at  least  of  superintending 
the  work  of  ordination,  and  to  set  in  order  the  things 
that  were  wanting  ;  and  he  was  ordered  to  report  the 
success  of  his  mission,  at  the  next  Association.  And 
for  the  discipline  of  this  high  officer,  the  following  law- 
was  enacted,  viz.  "  If  our  Messenger,  or  Apostle,  shall 
trangress  in  any  manner,  he  shall  be  liable  to  dealing  in 
any  church  where  the  transgression  was  committed  j  and 
the  said  church  is  instructed  to  call  helps  from  two  or 
three  neighbouring  churches ;  and  if  by  them  found  a 
transgressor,  a  general  conference  of  the  churches  shall 
be  called,  to  restore,  or  excommunicate  him."  At  this 
time  there  was  a  temporary  division  of  this  extensive  As- 
sociation, and  James-river  was  the  dividing  line.  The 
scene  which  we  have  been  describing,  was  acted  on  that 
part  which  lay  south  of  this  river  ;  but  the  northern  sec- 
tion, in  imitation  of  their  southern  brethren,  not  long  after, 

*  It  would  seem  by  the  above  account,  that  those  who  had  opposed  the  es- 
tablishment of  Apostles,  had  retired  from  the  Association,  before  the  ofTciisi  •  *: 
measure  was  adopted. 


56  Dispute  respecting  the  Atonement. 

in  the  same  year,  appointed  for  their  Apostles,  John  Wal- 
ler and  Elijah  Craig.  Thus  Virginia,  \vhose  ecclesiastical 
affairs  were  formerly  governed  by  Bishops,  now  beheld 
within  her  bounds,  three  Baptist  Apostles !  But  these 
Apostles  made  their  first  reports  in  rather  discouraging 
terms,  and  no  others  were  ever  appointed.  They  finally 
concluded,  that  the  office  of  Apostles,  like  that  of  Proph- 
ets, was  peculiar  to  the  Apostolick  age,  and  ceased  with 
the  cessation  of  that  inspiration  and  those  miraculous 
gifts,  by  which  these  characters  were  peculiarly  distin- 
guished. 

The  reflecting  reader  will  doubtless  feel  emotions  of 
disgust  and  disapprobation,  at  these  irregular  sallies  of 
zeal ;  he  will  also,  probably,  be  provoked  at  the  same 
time  to  smile  at  the  weakness  of  those  who  promoted 
them  ;  and  the  risibility  of  the  affair  may,  in  some  meas- 
ure, abate  the  severity  of  his  censures. 

In  1775,  the  two  divisions  of  the  Association,  which 
had,  for  a  short  time,  acted  in  separate  capacities,  now 
re-united,  when  it  was  found,  that  the  whole  number  of 
churches  amounted  to  60  j  31  on  the  north,  and  29  on 
the  south  side  of  James-river.  At  this  session  the  Asso- 
ciation was  most  painfully  agitated  by  the  discussion  of 
the  following  very  serious  and  important  question,  viz. 
"  Is  salvation  by  Christ  made  possible  for  every  individu- 
al of  the  human  race?"  This  query  was  debated  with  much 
interest,  and  also  with  much  ability  ;  for  notwithstanding 
the  proceedings  of  the  last  meeting,  by  which  their  wisdom 
was  so  much  impeached,  there  were,  at  this  time,  a  number 
of  preachers  amongst  the  Virginia  Baptists,  who  were  men 
of  considerable  readingand  theological  knowledge,  and  they, 
in  this  interesting  debate,  exerted  all  their  polemical  powers. 
Those,  who  supported  the  affirmative  of  this  question, 
were  called  Arminians,  while  those  who  maintained  the 
opposite  opinion  were  denominated  Calvinists.  But  tak- 
ing the  spirit  of  the  question,  these  appellations  were  not 
descriptive  of  the  characters  to  whom  they  were  applied  ; 
for  many  decided  Calvinists  hold,  that  the  atonement  of 
Christ  is  general  in  its  nature,  though  particular  in  its  ap- 
plication ;  and  had  these  people  been  acquainted  with  the 
distinction  made  by  Dr.  Fuller  and  other  modern  divines, 
it  might  have  relieved  their  embarrassments,  and  prevented 


Proposal  of  the  Arminian  Party,  51 

their  discord.  But  to  avoid  circumlocution,  I  shall,  in  re- 
lating the  progress  of  this  debate,  make  use  of  the  term 
Arminian  and  Calvinisr,  as  they  were  then,  applied,  and  as 
they  are  used  in  Semple's  History. 

This  important  query  occupied  the  first  attention  of  the 
Association.  One  whole  day  was  spent  in  debating  it,  and 
most  of  the  preachers  spake  more  or  less  upon  it.  The 
weight  of  talents  and  influence  seems  to  have  been  on  the 
Arminian  side.  Samuel  Harris,  Jeremiah  Walker,  John 
Waller,  and  many  other  distinguished  preachers,  stood 
forward,  and  zealously  as  well  as  ably  supported  the  argu- 
ment in  favour  of  universal  provision.  Talents  and  inge- 
nuity were  not  wanting  on  the  other  side.  William  Mur- 
phy, John  Williams,  and  Elijah  Craig  stood  foremost  in 
favour  of  a  Calvinistick  solution. 

The  preponderating  weight  was  at  last  cast  into  the 
Calvinistick  scale,  and  they,  after  a  long  and  animated 
debate,  finally  obtained  a  small  majority. 

This  decision  was  on  Monday  afternoon,  immediately 
before  an  adjournment.  That  evening  the  Arminian  party 
holding  a  consultation,  determined  to  bring  on  the  subject 
again  the  next  day,  and  to  have  a  determination,  whether 
their  opinions  upon  this  point  should  be  a  matter  of  bar 
to  fellowship  and  communion.  On  Tuesday,  when  they 
met,  the  business  became  very  distressing.  The  Arminian 
party  having  the  Moderator  with  them,  withdrew  out  of 
doors.  The  other  side  also  withdrew,  and  chose  John 
Williams  as  Moderator.  Every  thing  was  then  done  by 
message,  sometimes  in  writing,  and  sometimes  verbally. 
After  some  time  was  spent  in  this  way,  the  following  pro- 
posal was  made  by  the  Arminian  party  : 

"  Dear  Brethren, 

<e  A  steady  union  with  you  makes  us  willing  to  be  more 
explicit,  in  answer  to  your  terms  of  reconciliation  propo- 
sed. We  do  not  deny  the  former  part  of  your  proposal, 
respecting  particular  election  of  grace,  still  retaining  our 
liberty  with  regard  to  construction.  And  as  to  the  latter 
part,  respecting  merit  in  the  creature,  we  are  free  to  profess 
there  is  none. 

"  Signed  by  order, 

SAMUEL  HARRIS,  Moderator." 
VOL.  2.  8 


58  Short  Account  of  the  (General  Commit  Uc. 

To  which  the  other  replied  as  follows  : 

t;  Dear  Brethren, 

"  Inasmuch  as  a  continuation  of  your  Christian  fellow- 
ship seems  nearly  as  dear  to  us  as  our  lives,  and  seeing 
our  difficulties  concerning  your  principles,  with  respect  to 
merit  in  the  creature,  particular  election,  and  final  perse- 
verance of  the  saints,  are  in  a  hopeful  measure  removing, 
we  do  willingly  retain  you  in  fellowship,  not  raising  the 
least  bar.  But  do  heartily  wish  and  pray,  that  God,  in  his 
providence,  in  his  own  time,  will  bring  it  about,  when  Is- 
rael shall  all  be  of  one  mind,  speaking  the  same  things. 
"  Signed  by  order, 

"  JOHN  WILLIAMS,  Moderator." 

These  terms  being  acceded  to  on  both  sides,  they 
.igain  met  in  the  meeting-house,  and  resumed  their  bus- 
iness. Their  union  was  as  happy,  as  their  discord  had 
been  distressing. 

This  great  Association,  which  the  next  year  had  in- 
creased to  74-  churches,  continued  to  meet  together  for 
the  space  of  eight  years  from  this  period.  But  the 
revolutionary  war  coming  on,  the  embarrassments  and 
anxieties  which  it  occasioned,  in  a  great  measure  check- 
ed their  progress  and  prosperity ;  their  meetings  gene- 
rally were  but  thinly  attended,  and  their  principal  trans- 
actions appear  to  have  consisted  in  making  exertions  to 
free  themselves  from  the  civil  grievances  and  oppres- 
sion?, under  which  they,  as  a  denomination,  laboured. 


CHAP.  VI. 

A  short  Account  of  the  General  Committee. 

THIS  body  succeeded  the  General  Association,  and 
was  composed  of  delegates  from  all  the  Associations 
which  could,  with  convenience,  or  were  disposed  to 
send  messengers  to  it.  But  many  of  the  Virginia  Bap- 
tists were  suspicious  that  this  body  would,  in  time,  grow 
into  something  like  a  Synod  o  •  Dictating  Council,  and 
for  that  reason  stood  aloof  from  it  for  a  time  ;  and,  in- 


Proceedings  af  the  General  Committee. 

deed,  those  who  sanctioned  it,  and  assisted  in  promot- 
ing its  measures,  were  so  much  afraid  of  horns,  that  the\ 
gave  it  scarcely  any  bead  or  power.  But  with  all  its  re- 
strictions, most  of  which  were  probably  necessary  in  or- 
der to  secure  the  independency  of  the  numerous  church- 
es, over  whose  affairs  it  presided,  it  was  a  very  useful 
body,  and  was  instrumental  in  tearing  off,  one  after 
another,  the  civil  and  ecclesiastical  shackles,  by  which 
the  Baptists,  and  other  dissenters  from  the  Episcopal  Es- 
tablishment in  Virginia,  had  been  sorely  galled,  until  an 
entire  and  equal  freedom  was  by  law  established. 

The  General  Committee  was  organized  in  1784,  and 
continued  its  operations  fifteen  years,  viz.  until  1799, 
when  it  was  dissolved. 

The  object,  which  this  body  had  in  view,  may  bf 
seen  in  the  following  articles,  which  contain  the  sub- 
stance of  their  plan  of  government. 

1.  The  General  Committee  shall  be  composed  of  del- 
egates, sent  from  all  the  District  Associations  that  de- 
sire to  correspond  with  each  other. 

2.  No  Association  shall  be  represented  in  the  General 
Committee  by  more  than  four  delegates. 

3.  The  .Committee  thuj  composed,  shall  consider  all 
the  political  grievances  of  the  whole  Baptist  society  in 
Virginia,  and  all  references  from  the  District  Associa- 
tions, respecting  matters  which  concern  the  Baptist  socie- 
ty at  large. 

4.  No  petition,  memorial,  or  remonstrance  shall  be 
presented  to  the  General  Assembly  from  any  Association 
in  connexion  with  the  General  Committee.     All  things 
of  that  kind  shall  originate  with  the  General  Committee. 

The  Virginia  Baptists  at  this  time,  had  got  much  in 
the  spirit  of  sending  petitions,  &c.  to  the  General  As- 
sembly ;  and  having  always  met  with  a  favourable  re- 
ception, the  Committee  fearing  that  in  their  zeal  for 
freedom,  they  would  send  to  the  General  Assembly 
some  unnecessary  instrument  of  the  kind,  and  thereby 
injure  the  cause  which  was  now  in  such  a  promising 
way,  thought  proper  to  lay  this  restriction  upon  them 
for  the  purpose  of  preventing  such  an  evil. 

This  Committee  was  much  engaged,  for  a  few  year.-: 
from  its  organization,  in  petitioning  tho  Gr-ner^l 


60  Principal  Things  effected  by  the  Committee. 

bly  for  a  repeal  of  what  was  called  the  vestry  law,  and 
the  old  law  which  disqualified  all  dissenters  from  cele- 
brating the  rites  of  matrimony  ;  but  most  of  all,  against 
the  bill  for  a  general  assessment,  &c.  All  these  laws, 
which-  were  so  obnoxious  to  the  Baptists,  and  which  the 
struggling  and  expiring  spirit  of  the  old  establishment 
was  striving  to  maintain  ;  and,  indeed,  every  oppressive 
vestige  of  this  establishment,  the  Committee  finally  had 
the  happiness  of  seeing  abolished. 

Reuben  Ford,  John  Williams,  John  Leland,  and  John 
Waller,  appear  to  have  been  the  most  active  in  conduct- 
ing the  general  affairs  of  the  Virginia  Baptists,  in  these 
times, 

Jeremiah  Walker,  who  had  formerly  been  their  secre- 
tary, their  counsellor,  and  even  their  publick  champion, 
had  fallen  from  his  elevated  station,  and  removed  to 
Georgia.  Mr.  John  Leland  removed  from  New-Eng- 
land, and  settled  in  Orange  county,  Virginia,  in  the  year 
1776:  he  continued  about  fourteen  years  in  the  State, 
and  during  the  struggles  for  religious  freedom,  Mr.  Le- 
land took  an  active  and  successful  part.  But  his  exer- 
tions in  this  field  were  but  a  small  part  of  his  services 
in  Virginia  ;  for  during  his  residence  there,  he  travelled 
extensively,  preached  abundantly,  and  baptized  between 
six  and  seven  hundred  persons. 

The  political  grievances  against  which  this  Commit- 
tee exerted  their  influence  will  be  more  particularly 
mentioned  in  the  next  chapter.  The  most  remarkable 
acts  which  were  performed  by  this  body,  besides  their 
attention  to  these  civil  affairs,  were  their  effecting  an 
union  with  the  Regular  Baptists — their  proposing  and 
making  some  progress  towards  the  completion  of  A  His- 
tory of  the  Baptists  in  Virginia — and  their  forming  a  plan, 
which,  however,  we  are  sorry  to  say  has  never  been 
carried  into  effect,  for  establishing  a  Seminary  "/Learning 
for  the  advantage  of  the  Baptists  in  the  State. 
,^\  The  schism  which  took  place  among  the  Regular  and 
Separate  Baptists  in  1766,  soon  after  their  rise  in  Vir- 
ginia, had  continued,  without  being  completely  healed, 
for  about  20  years,  although  a  very  friendly  intercourse 
had  been  occasionly  kept  up  amongst  them.  But  in 
1787,  the  happy  period  arrived,  in  which  all  the  dis- 


Regulars  and  Separates  confer  respecting  Difficulties.   Ci 

putes  between  these  two  bodies  were  compromised,  bu- 
ried, and  forgotten.  The  adjustment  of  these  disputes 
was  conducted  by  the  General  Committee  on  the  part 
of  the  Separates,  and  on  that  of  the  Regulars  by  dele- 
gates for  the  purpose  from  the  Ketockton  Association  ; 
and  took  place  at  the  fourth  session  of  the  General  Com- 
mittee, which  was  held  at  Dover  meeting-house,  in 
Goochland  county.  At  this  meeting,  delegates  from 
six  Associations  of  the  Separates,  and  a  number  from 
the  Ketockton,  were  assembled,  when,  pursuant  to  a 
previous  appointment,  the  subject  of  the  union  between 
the  Regulars  and  Separates  was  taken  up,  and  after  a 
brief  and  temperate  discussion  of  their  differences,  a 
happy  and  effectual  union  was  formed,  and  their  party 
names  dismissed  and  buried. 

The  objections  on  the  part  of  Separates  related  chiefly 
to  matters  of  trivial  importance,  such  as  dress,  &c.  and 
had  been  for  some  time  removed,  as  to  being  a  bar  of 
communion.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Regulars  com- 
plained, that  the  Separates  were  not  sufficiently  explicit 
in  their  principles,  having  never  published  or  sanctioned 
any  confession  of  faith  ;  and  that  they  kept  within  their 
communion  many  who  were  professed  Arminians.*  To 
these  things  it  was  answered  by  the  Separates,  that  a 
large  majority  of  them  believed  as  much  in  their  con- 
fession of  faith,  as  they  did  themselves,  although  they 
did  not  entirely  approve  of  the  practice  of  religious  so- 
cieties binding  themselves  too  strictly  by  confessions 
of  faith,  seeing  there  was  danger  of  their  finally  usurp- 
ing too  high  a  place :  that  if  there  were  some  among 
them,  who  leaned  too  much  to  the  Arminian  system, 
they  were  generally  men  of  exemplary  piety,  and  great 
usefulness  in  the  Redeemer's  kingdom  ;  and  they  con- 
ceived it  better  to  bear  with  some  diversity  of  opinion 
in  doctrines,  than  to  break  with  men,  whose  Christian 
deportment  rendered  them  amiable  in  the  estimation  of 
all  true  lovers  of  genuine  godliness.  Indeed,  that  some 
of  them  had  now  become  fathers  in  the  gospel,  who,  pre- 
vious to  the  bias  which  their  minds  had  received,  had 

*  The  reader  must  keep  in  mind,  that  in  this  day,  those  were  called  Ar- 
minians, who  held  to  the  universal  provision  of  the  gospel,  or  that  the  atone- 
ment of  Christ  was  general  in  its  nature. 


62  Terms  of  Union,  &c. 

borne  the  brunt  and  heat  of  persecution,  -whose  labours 
and  sufferings  God  had  blessed,  and  still  blessed,  to  the 
great  advancement  of  his  cause — to  exclude  such  as 
these  from  their  communion,  would  be  like  tearing  the 
limbs  from  the  body. 

These  and  such  like  arguments,  were  agitated  both  in 
publick  and  private,  so  that  all  minds  were  much  molli- 
fied, before  the  final  and  successful  attempt  for  union 
was  made.  The  terms  of  the  union  were  entered  on 
the  minutes  in  the  following  words,  viz. 

"  The  committee  appointed  to  consider  the  terms  of 
union  with  our  Regular  Brethren,  Reported^  That  they 
conceive  the  manner  in  which  the  Regular  Baptist  con- 
fession of  faith  has  been  received  by  a  former  Associa- 
tion, is  the  ground-work  for  such  union."  The  man- 
ner of  this  reception  was,  that  they  should  retain  their 
liberty  with  regard  to  the  construction  of  some  of  its 
objectionable  articles. 

After  considerable  debate,  as  to  the  propriety  of  having 
any  confession  of  faith  at  ail,  the  report  of  the  committee 
was  received  with  the  following  explanation  : 

"  To  prevent  the  confession  of*  faith  from  usurping  a 
tyrannical  power  over  the  conscience  of  any,  we  do  not 
mean,  that  every  person  is  bound  to  the  strict  observance 
of  every  thing  therein  contained ;  yet  that  it  holds  forth 
the  essential  truths  of  the  gospel,  and  that  the  doctrine  of 
salvation  by  Christ,  and  free  and  unmerited  grace  alone, 
ought  to  be  believed  by  every  Christian,  and  maintained 
by  every  minister  of  the  gospel.  Upon  these  terms  we 
are  united,  and  desire  hereafter,  that  the  names  Regular 
and  Separate  be  buried  in  oblivion  ;  and  that  from  hence- 
forth, we  shall  be  known  by  the  name  of  the  United  Baptist 
Churches^  in  Virginia." 

This  union  took  place  at  a  time  when  a'revival  of  relig- 
ion had  commenced  which  soon  burst  forth  on  the  right 
hand  and  on  the  left,  throughout  the  State,  "  and  noth- 
ing," says  Mr.  Semple,  their  historian,  "  could  be  more 
salutary  than  this  conjunction  of  dissevered  brethren,  and 
the  accommodating  temper  of  the  parties  by  which  it  was 
:ted  ;  and  they  have,  from  that  period  to  the  present 
time,  most  fully  demonstrated,  that  it  was  an  union  of 

res  as  well  as  parties." 


Seminary  cf  Learning  recommended.  63 

In  the  next  year  after  this  pleasing  event,  there  origi- 
nated in  this  committee  the  first  proposal  for  publishing 
A  History  of  the  Rise  and  Progress  of  the  Baptists  in  Virginia. 
A  number  of  persons  were  chosen  to  engage  in  collecting 
materials  ;  and  the  next  year,  a  sufficient  number  having 
been  collected  for  the  purpose,  Messrs.  John  Leland  and 
John  Williams  were  appointed  to  commence  the  work. 
The  compilation  of  this  proposed  history  devolved  on 
different  hands,  by  whom  considerable  progress  was  made, 
although  much  remained  yet  to  be  done,  when  it  wat 
finally  and  solely  undertaken  by  the  Rev.  Robert  B.  Sem- 
ple,  by  whom  it  was  finished  in  a  very  acceptable  manner, 
and  presented  to  the  publick  in  the  year  18OD. 

The  same  year  in  which  the  first  proposal  for  A  Histo- 
ry,  &c.  was  made,  the  committee  received  a  letter  from 
Rev.  James  Manning,  D.  D.  President  of  Providence  Col- 
lege, (now  Brown  University)  in  Rhode-Island,  recom- 
mending and  encouraging  the  Baptists  of  Virginia  to  es- 
tablish a  Seminary  of  Learning,  for  the  benefit  of  their 
growing  interest.  This  suggestion  of  their  learned  and 
pious  correspondent  met  the  approbation  of  this  board, 
who  soon  began  to  talk  upon  the  subject,  and  who,  after 
a  few  years,  went  so  far  as  to  form  a  plan,  and  appoint 
twenty-one  Trustees,«for  the  intended  Seminary.  But 
this  institution,  which  was  so  much  needed,  and  which, 
with  suitable  exertions,  might  have  been  so  easily  estab- 
lished, has  hitherto  only  been  talked  of.  It  is  hoped,  how- 
ever, that  the  day  is  not  far  distant,  when  something  more 
efficient  will  be  undertaken.  The  Virginia  Baptists  have 
been  charged  with  "  holding  as  an  established  maxim, 
that  human  learning  is  of  no  use."  This  charge  they  re* 
sent  as  slanderous  and  false,  and,  generally  speaking,  it 
doubtless  is  so.  But  for  so  large  a  community  as  there 
has  been  of  the  Baptist  denomination  in  Virginia,  for  up- 
wards of  forty  years,  to  remain  so  long  without  any  litera- 
ry establishment  which  they  can  call  their  own,  gives  oc- 
casion both  for  friends  and  enemies  to  say,  that  if  they  do 
not  despise  human  learning,  they  have  strangely  neglect- 
ed the  means,  which  they  so  abundantly  possess,  of  pro- 
moting it. 

The  General  Committee  having  now  accomplished  the 
object  for  which  it  was  organized,  in  17^9,  was,  from  pru- 


<j4  General  Meeting  of  Correspondence. 

dential  motives,  dissolved.  During  the  period  of  its  exist- 
ence, an  unreasonable  jealousy,  says  their  historira,  of  its 
exercising  too  much  power,  was  often  manifested  both  by 
Associations  and  individuals.  This,  added  to  some  other 
causes,  produced  a  gradual  declension  in  the  attendance  of 
members,  as  well  as  unpleasant  languor  in  the  transaction 
of  business.  For  these  reasons,  this  body  was  dissolved  at 
the  date  above  mentioned,  and  was  succeeded  by  one  simi- 
lar in  its  form,  though  somewhat  different  in  its  object, 
which  was  denominated 

The  General  Meeting  of  Correspondence. 

This  Meeting,  like  the  General  Committee,  is  formed  of 
delegates  from  all  the  Associations  which  choose  to  promote 
it.  It  was  organized  in  1 80O,  and  has  continued  its  an- 
niversary sessions  to  the  present  time. 

The  name  of  this  body  is  sufficiently  descriptive  of  its 
nature  and  design.  Having,  however,  never  had  much 
business  assigned  it,  its  operations  have  hitherto  been 
much  circumscribed.  But  the  advantages  resulting  from 
a  general  intercourse  o^  the  Associations  in  Virginia  were 
so  obvious,  that  the  promoters  of  this  Convention  were 
willing  to  have  a  meeting  on  any  terms  which  would  ac- 
complish that  end. 

The  last  account  we  have  received  from  this  Meeting 
was  in  1 809,  when  it  was  laudably  engaged  in  devising 
plans  "  for  the  religious  education  of  children,  and  the 
establishment  of  some  seminary  or  publick  school,  to  as- 
sist young  preachers  to  acquire  literary  knowledge." 


CHAP.     VII. 

From  the  Commencement  of  legal  Persecution,  until  the  Abolition 
of  the  Established  Church. 

WHEN  the  Baptists  first  appeared  in  North  Carolina  and 
Virginia,  they  were  viewed  by  men  in  power  as  beneath 
their  notice  ;  none,  said  they,  but  the  weak  and  wicked 
join  them  ;  let  them  alone,  they  -will  soon  fall  out  among 
themselves,  and  come  to  nothing.  In  some  places  thi? 


Imprisonment  for  preaching  the  Gospel.  65 

maxim  was  adhered  to,  and  persecution  in  legal  shape  was 
never  seen.  But  in  many  others,  alarmed  by  the  rapid  in- 
crease of  the  Baptists,  the  men  in  power  strained  every  pe- 
nal law  in  the  Virginia  code,  to  obtain  ways  and  means  to 
put  down  these  disturbers  of  the  peace,  as  they  were  now 
called. 

It  seems  by  no  means  certain,  that  any  law  in  force  in 
Virginia  authorized  the  imprisonment  of  any  person  for 
preaching.  The  law  for  the  preservation  of  peace,  how- 
ever, was  so  interpreted  as  to  answer  this  purpose  ;  and, 
accordingly,  whenever  the  preachers  were  apprehended,  it 
was  done  by  a  peace-warrant. 

The  first  instance  of  actual  imprisonment,  we  believe, 
that  ever  took  place  in  Virginia,  was  in  the  county  of 
Spottsylvania.  On  the  4th  of  June,  1768,  John  Waller, 
Lewis  Craig,  James  Childs,  and  others,  were  seized  by  the 
Sheriff,  and  haled  before  three  magistrates,  who  stood  in 
the  meeting-house  yard,  and  who  bound  them  in  the  pen- 
alty of  one  thousand  pounds,  to  appear  at  Court  two 
days  after.  At  Court  they  were  arraigned  as  disturbers  of 
the  peace  ;  on  their  trial,  they  were  vehemently  accused 
by  a  certain  lawyer,  who  said  to  the  Court,  "  May  it  please 
your  worships,  these  men  are  great  disturbers  of  the  peace  ; 
they  cannot  meet  a  man  upon  the  road,  but  they  must  ram 
a  text  of  Scripture  down  his  throat."  Mr.  Waller  made 
his  own  and  his  brethren's  defence  so  ingeniously,  that 
they  were  somewhat  puzzled  to  know  how  to  dispose  of 
them.  They  offered  to  release  them,  if  they  would  promise 
to  preach  no  more  in  the  county,  for  a  year  and  a  day. 
This  they  refused,  and  therefore  were  sent  into  close  jail. 
As  they  were  moving  On  from  the  court-house  to  the  prison, 
through  the  streets  of  Fredericksburg,  they  sung  the  hymn, 
"  Broad  is  the  road  that  leads  to  death"  &c.  This  had  an 
awful  appearance.  After  four  weeks  confinement,  Lewis 
Craig  was  released  from  prison,  and  immediately  went 
down  to  Williamsburg,  to  get  a  release  for  his  companions. 
He  waited  on  the  deputy-governor,  the  Hon.  John  Blair, 
stated  the  case  before  him,  and  received  the  following  let- 
ter, directed  to  the  King's  Attorney,  in  Spottsylvania : 

"  Sir, — I  lately  received  a  letter  signed  by  a  good  num- 
ber of  worthy  gentlemen,  who  are  not  here,  complaining 
of  the  Baptists  ;  the  particulars  of  their  misbehaviour  are 

VOL.  2.  9 


66       The  Deputy-Governor  intercedes  for  the  Baptists. 

not  told,  any  farther  than  their  running  into  private 
houses,  and  making  dissensions.  Mr.  Craig  and  Mr. 
Benjamin  Waller  are  now  with  me,  and  deny  the  charge. 
They  tell  me  they  are  willing  to  take  the  oaths,  as  oth- 
ers have.  I  told  them  I  had  consulted  the  Attorney- 
General,  who  is  of  opinion,  that  the  General  Court  only 
have  power  to  grant  licens'es,  and  therefore  I  referred 
them  to  the  Court ;  but,  on  their  application  to  the  At- 
torney-General, they  brought  me  his  letter,  advising  me 
to  write  to  you  :  That  their  petition  was  a  matter  of 
right,  and  that  you  may  not  molest  these  conscientious 
people,  so  long  as  they  behave  themselves  in  a  manner 
becoming  pious  Christians,  and  in  obedience  to  the  laws, 
till  the  Court,  when  they  intend  to  apply  for  licenses,  and 
when  the  gentlemen  who  complain  may  make  their  ob- 
jections and  be  heard.  The  act  of  toleration,  (it  being 
found  by  experience  that  persecuting  dissenters  in- 
creases their  numbers)  has  given  them  a  right  to  apply, 
in  a  proper  manner,  for  licensed  houses  for  the  worship 
of  God,  according  to  their  consciences ;  and  I  persuade 
myself  the  gentlemen  will  quietly  overlook  their  meet- 
ings till  the  Court.  I  am  told  they  administer  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  Lord's  Supper  near  the  manner  we  do,  and 
differ  in  nothing  from  our  church,  but  in  that  of  baptism, 
and  their  renewing  the  ancient  discipline  ;  by  which 
they  have  reformed  some  sinners  and  brought  them  to  be 
truly  penitent ;  nay,  if  a  man  of  theirs  is  idle,  and  neg- 
lects to  labour  and  provide  for  his  family  as  he  ought,  he 
incurs  their  censures,  which  have  had  good  effects.  If 
this  be  their  behaviour,  it  were  to  be  wished  we  had 
some  of  it  among  us :  but,  at  least,  I  hope  all  men  may 
remain  quiet  till  Court. 

"  I  am,  with  great  respects  to  the  gentlemen,  Sir, 
your  humble  servant,  JOHN  BLAIR. 

"  Williamburg,  July  16,  1768." 

When  the  letter  came  to  the  Attorney,  he  would  have 
nothing  to  say  in  the  affair.  Waller  and  the  others  con- 
tinued in  jail  forty-three  days,  and  were  then  discharged 
without  any  conditions.  While  in  prison,  they  con- 
stantly preached  through  the  grates.  The  mob  with- 
out used  every  exertion  to  prevent  the  people  from 


They  preach  the  Gospel  whilst  in  Prison.  G7 

hearing,  but  to  little  purpose.  Many  heard,  indeed,  to 
whom  the  word  came  in  demonstration  of  the  Spirit 
and  with  power. 

After  their  discharge,  which  was  a  kind  of  triumph, 
Waller,  Craig,  and  their  compeers  in  the  ministry,  re- 
sumed their  labours  with  redoubled  vigour,  gathering 
fortitude  from  their  late  sufferings,  thanking  God  they 
were  counted  worthy  to  suffer  for  Christ  and  his  gospel. 
Day  and  night,  and,  indeed,  almost  every  day  and  night, 
they  held  meetings  in  their  own  and  the  adjacent  neigh- 
bourhoods. The  spread  of  the  gospel  and  of  Baptist 
principles  was  equal  to  all  their  exertions  ;  insomuch, 
that  in  very  few  sections  of  Virginia  did  the  Baptist 
cause  appear  more  formidable  to  its  enemies,  and  more 
consoling  to  its  friends,  than  in  Spottsylvania  ;  and  we 
may  add,  so  it  is  to  this  day. 

We  have  already  observed  the  spread  of  the  gospel  in 
the  county  of  Goochland,  and  that  certain  promising 
young  preachers  were  thrust  into  the  work.  Animated 
as  they  were  with  strong  desires  for  the  welfare  of  souls, 
they  could  not  restrain  themselves  within  the  limits  of 
one  county.  In  December,  1770,  Messrs.  William 
Webber  and  Joseph  Anthony,  two  zealous  young  preach- 
ers, passed  James-river,  into  Chesterfield,  having  been 
previously  invited  by  some  of  the  inhabitants.  They, 
however,  met  with  rigid  treatment.  The  magistrates, 
finding  that  many  were  turning  to  righteousness,  (to 
madness,  as  they  would  have  it)  and  that  these  young 
labourers  were  likely  to  do  them  much  harm,  issued 
warrants,  and  had  them  apprehended  and  cast  into  pris- 
on. The  Court  requiring  them  to  bind  themselves  to 
do  what  they  could  not  in  conscience  comply  with,  they 
continued  in  jail  until  the  March  following.  While  in 
prison  they  did  much  execution  by  preaching  through 
the  grates  ;  many  people  attended  their  ministry,  and 
many  professed  faith  by  virtue  of  the  labours  of  these, 
the  Lord's  persecuted  servants.  This  was  the  beginning 
of  God's  work  in  the  county  of  Chesterfield  ;  no  coun- 
ty ever  extended  its  opposition  and  persecution  to  the 
Baptists  farther  than  this  ;  and  yet  in  few  counties 
have  Baptist  principles  prevailed  more  extensively. 


68  Webber,  Waller  and  others  persecuted. 

When  Webber  and  Anthony  were  let  go,  they  re- 
turned to  Goochland,  to  their  own  company,  and  re- 
sumed their  great  work  :  Mr.  Webber,  however,  enjoy- 
ed his  liberty  only  a  few  months.  He  consented  to 
travel  with  John  Waller,  on  a  course  of  meetings,  to 
Middlesex,  to  the  upper  end  of  which  place  they  arriv- 
ed on  the  10th  of  August,  1771.  They  soon  found, 
however,  there  was  no  chance  to  proceed  in  their  work. 
While  Webber  was  preaching  from  these  words,  "  Shew 
me  thy  faith  "without  thy  works,  and  I  will  shew  you  my  faith 
by  my  works,"  a  magistrate  pushed  up,  and  drew  back  his 
club,  with  a  design  to  knock  him  down  ;  some  person  be- 
hind him  caught  the  club,  and  prevented  the  mischief. 
Having  a  warrant  to  apprehend  all  who  preached,  and 
being  backed  by  two  Sheriffs,  he  seized  William  Web- 
ber, John  Waller,  James  Greenwood,  and  Robert  Ware. 
On  the  same  day,  Thomas  Waford,  who  had  travelled 
from  the  upper  country  with  the  preachers,  though  no 
preacher  himself,  was  severely  beaten  by  one  of  the  per- 
secutors with  a  whip,  the  scar  of  which  he  will  probably 
carry  to  his  grave  ;  he  with  the  four  above-named 
preachers,  were  tried  by  James  Montague.  They  first 
searched  their  saddle-bags,  to  find  treasonable  papers ; 
finding  none,  they  proceeded  to  trial,  taking  them,  one 
by  one,  into  private  rooms,  proposing  to  them  to  give 
bond  and  security  not  to  preach  in  the  county  again. 
Each  of  them  expressly  refused  ;  Waford  was  discharg- 
ed, not  being  a  preacher  ;  the  other  four  were  ordered 
to  prison,  and  being  conducted  by  two  Sheriffs,  they 
were  safely  lodged  in  close  jail  that  night,  about  9 
o'clock.  Having  borrowed  a  candle  of  the  jailer,  and 
sung  the  praises  of  that  Redeemer  whose  cross  they 
bore,  and  from  whose  hands  they  expected  a  crown  in 
the  end — and  having  returned  thanks  that  it  was  a  prison 
and  not  hell  that  they  were  in — praying  for  themselves, 
their  friends,  their  enemies,  and  persecutors, — they  laid 
down  to  sleep.  The  next  day  being  Sabbath,  many  of 
their  friends  came  to  see  them,  and  were  admitted  into 
the  prison  :  James  Greenwood  preached  to  them.  They 
were  well  supplied  by  their  friends  with  the  necessaries 
and  comforts  for  living,  which,  added  to  the  sense  of  di- 
vine goodness  that  they  enjoyed,  they  had  not,  on  the 


Prisoners  fed  on  Bread  and  Water.  69 

whole,  an  unpleasant  season.  They  gave  notice  that  they 
would  preach  every  Wednesday  and  Sunday.  Many  came 
to  hear  them,  insomuch  that  their  enemies  began  to  be 
enraged,  and  would  frequently  beat  a  drum  while  they 
were  preaching. 

On  Monday  the  24th,  being  Court  day,  they  were  car- 
ried to  the  court-house  to  be  tried.  A  guard  attended 
them,  as  if  they  had  been  criminals.  They  were  not  al- 
lowed to  speak  for  themselves,  but  peremptorily  requir- 
ed to  give  bond  and  security  for  good  behaviour,  and 
not  to  preach  in  the  county  again  for  one  year.  These 
terms  they  expressly  refused,  and  were  remanded  to 
prison,  and  orders  given  that  they  should  be  fed  on 
bread  and  water  ;  accordingly  the  next  day  they  had 
nothing  else,  and  not  enough  of  bread.  Thus  it  contin- 
ued for  four  days,  until  the  brethren  and  friends  found 
it  out ;  after  that,  they  were  furnished  so  plentifully 
that  they  bestowed  much  upon  the  poor  inhabitants  of 
the  town.  On  September  10th,  they  were  allowed  the 
prison  bounds,  by  which  they  were  much  relieved  ;  yet 
they  were  frequently  under  the  necessity  of  resorting  to 
the  jail,  to  avoid  the  rage  of  persecutors.  The  Lord 
daily  opened  the  hearts  of  the  people :  the  rich  sent 
many  presents,  things  calculated  to  nourish  them  in 
their  sufferings,  and  alleviate  their  sorrows.  Mr.  Web- 
ber fell  sick  ;  this  excited  the  sympathy  of  their  friends 
in  a  higher  degree,  and  they  paid  him  great  attention. 
The  persecutors  found  that  the  imprisonment  of  the 
preachers  tended  rather  to  the  furtherance  of  the  gos- 
pel ;  for  they  preached  regularly  in  their  prison,  crowds 
attended  to  hear,  and  their  preaching  seemed  to  have  a 
double  weight  when  coming  from  the  jail ;  many  view- 
ed it  with  superstitious  reverence,  so  that  their  ene- 
mies became  desirous  to  be  rid  of  them.  Accordingly, 
on  the  26th  day  of  September,  after  having  been  thirty 
days  in  close  confinement,  and  sixteen  days  in  the 
bounds,  they  were  liberated,  upon  giving  a  bond  for 
good  behaviour. 

The  rage  of  persecutors  had  in  no  wise  abated  ;  they 
seemed,  sometimes,  to  strive  to  treat  the  Baptists  and 
their  worship  with  as  much  rudeness  and  indecency  as 
was  possible.  They  often  insulted  the  preachers  in  time 


70         Remarkable  Deaths  of  two  profane  Opposers. 

of  service,  and  would  ride  into  the  water,  and  make 
sport,  when   they   administered   baptism.      They  fre- 
quently fabricated  and  spread  the  most  groundless  re- 
ports, which  were  injurious  to  the  characters  of  the 
Baptists ;    and  when   a  Baptist  fell  into  any  improper 
conduct,  it  was  always  exaggerated  to  the  utmost  extent. 
On  one  occasion,  when   Robert  Ware  was  preaching, 
there  came  two  sons  of  Belial,  one  named  Davis  and  the 
other  Kemp,  and  stood  before  him  with  a  bottle,  and 
drank,  offering  the  bottle  to  him,  cursing  him.     As  soon 
as  he  closed  his  service,  they  drew  out  a  pack  of  cards, 
and  began  to  play  on  the  stage  where  he  had  been  stand- 
ing, wishing  him  to  reprove  them,  that  they  might  beat 
him.     But  it  is  worthy  of  note,  that  these  two  men  both 
died  soon  after,  ravingly   distracted,  each  accusing  the 
other  of  leading  him  into  so  detestable  a  crime.     Not- 
withstanding these  severe  oppositions,  the  word  of  the 
Lord  grew  and  multiplied  greatly.      Young  preachers 
were  ordained,  and  churches  constituted  ;    the  first  of 
which  was  Lower  King  and   Queen  church,  constituted 
October  17,  1772,  with  seventeen  members,  and  on  the 
llth  February  following,  Robert  Ware  was  ordained  as 
pastor.     Glebe   Landing  church  was  also  constituted  at 
the  same  time,  and  James  Greenwood  was  ordained  a 
lay-elder.      Exol  and  Piscataway  churches  were  consti- 
tuted in  no  great  while  after  this.     These  new  churches, 
filled  with  young  and  inexperienced  members,  were  vis- 
ited frequently  by  John  Waller,  accompanied  sometimes 
by  one,  and  sometimes  by  another  of  the  preachers  of 
his  own  vicinity.      Kis  ministrations,  on  the  one  hand, 
were  exceeding  salutary  and  comfortable  to  his  friends ; 
but  on  the  other,  highly  displeasing  to  the  enemies  of 
the  Baptists.     They  viewed  Waller  as  the  ring-leader  of 
all   the  confusion   and   disturbance   that   had  befallen 
them.     Great  congregations  of  people  attended  the  Bap- 
tist meetings,  while  very  few  went  to  the  parish  church- 
es.     The  zealots  for  the  old  order  were  greatly  embar- 
rassed :  If,  say  they,  we  permit  them  to  go  en,  our  church 
must  come  to  nothing  ;  and  yet,  if  we  punish  them,  as  far  as 
we  can  stretch  the  law,  it  seems  not  to  deter  them  ;  for  they 
preach  through  prison  windows,  in  spite  cf  cur  endeavours  to 
prevent  it.      Sometimes  the  rector  of  the  parish  would 


The  Episcopal  Clergy  oppose  the  Baptists.  7 1 

give  notice,  that  on  a  certain  day,  he  would  prove  the 
Baptists  to  be  deceivers,  and  their  doctrines  false.  The  at- 
tempt was  often  made,  but  they  uniformly  injured  their 
own  cause  j  their  arguments  were  generally  drawn  from 
the  extravagancies  of  the  German  Anabaptists  ;  to  this 
the  Baptists  in  a  word  replied,  that  they  disclaimed  all  con- 
nexion with  the  Anabaptists,  and  felt  themselves  no  more  re- 
sponsible for  their  irregularities,  than  the  Episcopalians  could 
feel  for  the  fooleries  of  the  Papists  ;  that  the  BIBLE  was  the 
criterion  ;  by  that  they  were  willing  to  stand  or  fall.  Not 
unfrequently,  their  leading  men  would  attend  the  Bap- 
tist meetings,  and  would  enter  into  arguments  with  the 
preachers  :  they  insisted  that  their  church  was  the  old- 
est, and  consequently  the  best  ;  that  their  ministers  were 
learned  men,  and  consequently  most  competent  to  inter- 
pret scripture  ;  that  the  better  sort  and  well-informed, 
adhered  to  them,  whilst  none,  or  scarcely  any  except  the 
lower  order,  followed  the  Baptists  ;  that  they  were  all 
in  peace  and  friendship  before  the  coming  of  the  Bap- 
tists, but  now  their  houses  and  neighbourhoods  were 
filled  with  religious  disputes ;  that  the  Baptists  were 
false  prophets,  who  were  to  come  in  sheeps'  clothing. 

To  these  arguments,  Waller  and  the  other  preachers, 
boldly  and  readily  replied,  that  if  they  were  wolves  in 
sheeps'  clothing,  and  their  opponents  were  true  sheep, 
it  was  quite  unaccountable  that  they  were  persecuted, 
and  cast  into  prison  ;  it  is  well  known  that  wolves 
would  destroy  sheep,  but  never,  until  then,  that  sheep 
would  prey  upon  wolves  ;  that  their  coming  might,  in- 
deed, interrupt  their  peace  ;  but  certainly,  if  it  did,  it 
must  be  a  false  peace,  bordering  on  destruction  j  and  to 
rouse  them  from  this  lethargy,  was  like  waking  a  man 
whose  house  was  burning  over  him  j  that  the  effects  of 
their  coming  was  similar  to  those  foretold  by  Christ,  as 
arising  from  the  propagation  of  his  word,  namely,  "  that 
there  should  be  jive  In  one  house,  three  against  two,  and  t'ivc 
against  three  ;"  that  if  the  higher  ranks  in  society  did 
not  countenance  them,  it  was  no  more  than  what  befel 
their  Master,  and  his  inspired  Apostles  ;  that  rich  meq. 
in  every  generation,  with  some  few  exceptions,  were 
enemies  to  a  pure  gospel ;  but  that  God  had  declared; 
that  he  had  chosen  the  poor  of  this  world  to  be  rich  in 


72  Persecutions  continued. 

faith  ;  that,  it:  was  true,  most  of  their  preachers  were 
unlearned,  yet  that  they  had  evidences  they  were  call- 
ed to  the  ministry  by  the  will  of  God  ;  that  this  was 
the  most  essential  qualification  of  a  minister,  the  want 
of  which,  all  the  learning  of  all  the  schools  could  not 
supply. 

The  Baptist  preachers  would  often  retort  their  own 
inconsistencies  upon  them ;  that  while  they  professed 
to  be  Christians,  they  indulged  themselves  in  the  viola- 
tion of  most  of  the  Christian  precepts  ;  that  their  com- 
munion was  often  polluted,  by  the  admission  of  known 
drunkards,  gamesters,  swearers,  and  revellers  ;  that  even 
their  clergy,  learned  as  they  were,  had  never  learned  the 
most  essential  doctrine  of  revelation,  the  indispensable 
necessity  of  the  new  birth,  or  being  born  again  ;  that  their 
publick  discourses  were  nothing  more  than  moral  ad- 
dresses, such  as  a  pagan  philosopher,  unassisted  by  the 
Bible,  could  have  composed. 

Foiled  in  their  arguments,  and  galled  by  the  reproach- 
es cast  upon  them,  which,  doubtless,  were  often  done 
with  too  much  acrimony,  they  again  resorted  to  the 
civil  power.  In  August,  1772,  James  Greenwood  and 
William  Loveall  were  preaching,  not  far  from  the  place 
where  Bruington  meeting-house  now  stands,  in  the 
county  of  King  and  Queen,  when  they  were  seized  by 
virtue  of  a  warrant,  and  immediately  conveyed  to  pris- 
on. After  the  first  day  and  night,  they  were  allowed 
the  bounds.  Having  continued  in  prison  sixteen  days, 
until  Court,  they  were  discharged,  upon  giving  bond 
merely  for  good  behaviour.  At  this  season  they  receiv- 
ed the  most  unbounded  kindness  from  Mr.  Harwood 
the  jailer,  and  his  lady.  They  preached  regularly  while 
in  prison,  and  to  much  purpose. 

On  March  13th,  1774,  the  day  on  which  Piscataway 
church  was  constituted,  a  warrant  was  issued  to  appre- 
hend all  the  Baptist  preachers  that  were  at  meeting. 
Accordingly,  John  Waller,  John  Shackleford,  Robert 
Ware,  and  Ivison  Lewis,  were  taken  and  carried  before 
a  magistrate.  Ivison  Lewis  was  dismissed,  not  having 
preached  in  the  county  ;  the  other  four  were  sent  to 
prison.  It  appears  from  Waller's  journals,  that  while  in 
prison,  God  permitted  them  to  pass  through  divers  and 


Sufferings  of  God1  s  Ministers.  ~5 

fiery  trials ;  their  minds,  for  a  season,  being  greatly  ha- 
rassed  by  the  enemy  of  souls.  They,  however,  from, 
first  to  last  of  their  imprisonment,  preached  twice  a 
week,  gave  much  godl^  advice  to  such  as  came  to  visit 
them,  read  a  great  deal,  and  prayed  almost  without 
ceasing.  In  their  stated  devotion,  morning,  noon,  and 
night,  they  were  often  joined  by  others,  They  contin- 
ued in  close  confinement  from  the  13th  to  the  21st  of 
March,  which  was  Court  day  ;  being  brought  .to  trial, 
they  were  required  to  give  bond  and  security  for  their 
good  behaviour  for  twelve  months,  or  go  back  to  pris- 
on. Ware  and  Shackleford  gave  bond,  and  went  home  ; 
Waller,  being  always  doubtful  of  the  propriety  of  giving 
any  bond  whatever,  determined  to  go  back  to  jail. 

The  trials  of  this  man  of  God  were  now  greater  than 
ever.  Deserted  by  his  brethren,  scoffed  at,  persecuted 
by  his  enemies,  locked  up  with  a  set  of  drunken,  pro- 
fane wretches,  he  had  no  alternative  but  to  commit 
himself  to  the  hands  of  his  God,  and  wait  his  deliver- 
ance. After  remaining  in  prison  fourteen  days,  he  gain- 
ed his  own  consent  to  give  bond,  and  go  home. 

We  have  thus  stated  a  few  instances  of  the  sufferings 
of  God's  ministers  in  those  times  ;  time  and  space  would 
fail  to  enumerate  them  all.  They  used  to  preach  to  the 
people  through  the  grates  ;  to  prevent  which,  some  ill- 
disposed  men  would  be  at  the  expense  of  erecting  a 
high  wall  round  the  prison  ;  others  would  employ  half- 
drunken  strolls  to  beat  a  drum  round  the  prison,  to  pre- 
vent the  people  from  hearing.  Sometimes  matches  and 
pepper-pods  were  burnt  at  the  prison  door,  and  many 
such  afflictions  the  dear  disciples  went  through.  About 
thirty  preachers  were  honoured  with  a  dungeon,  and  a 
few  others  beside.  Some  of  them  were  imprisoned  as 
often  as  four  times,  besides  all  the  mobs  and  perils  they 
went  through.  The  dragon  roared  with  hideous  peals* 
but  was  not  red — the  beast  appeared  formidable,  but 
was  not  scarlet-coloured.  Virginia  soil  has  never  been, 
stained  with  vital  blood  for  conscience  sake. — -Leland's 
Virginia  Chronicle. 

From  the  beginning,  the  Baptists  were  unremitting 
in  their  exertions  to  obtain  liberty  of  conscience  ;  they 
contended  that  they  could  not  be  imprisoned  by  any 

VOL.  2.  10 


Baptists  apply  to  Government  for  Privileges. 

feasting  law  ;  that  they  were  entitled  to  the  same  privi- 
leges that  were  enjoyed  by  the  dissenters  in  England  : 
their  judges,  however,  decided  otherwise;  and  as  there 
was  no  regular  appeal,  the  propriety  of  that  decision  has 
not  been  legally  ascertained.  The  prevailing  opinion  in 
the  present  day  is,  that  their  imprisonment  was  unlaw- 
ful. When  they  could  not  succeed  in  this  way,  they  re- 
sorted to  the  General  Court,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining 
licensed  places  for  preaching,  &c.  agreeably  to  the  toler- 
ation law  in  England. 

On  this  subject  Mr.  Edwards  has  the  following  obser- 
vations :  "  Some,  who  have  allowed  the  sufferings  of 
the  Baptists  in  Virginia  to  be  of  the  nature  of  persecution, 
have  also  said,  "  that  they  may  blame  themselves  for 
them,  because  they  refused  to  put  themselves  under  the 
protection  of  the  Toleration  Act."  To  this  it  may  be  re- 
plied, that  the  spread  of  the  Baptists  in  Virginia  is  almost 
a  new  thing,  and  that  among  people,  who,  for  the  most 
part,  knew  little  of  law,  and  of  the  rights  and  privi- 
]eges  of  protestant  dissenters.  However,  it  is  not  true 
that  Baptists  have  either  refused  or  neglected  to  claim 
their  rights.  Some  have  obtained  licenses,  others  have 
been  refused  under  various  pretences  ;  some  alleging 
that  the  Toleration  Act  was  not  in  force  in  Virginia,  be- 
cause it  is  of  later  date  than  their  charter,  and  was  never 
formally  adopted  by  the  Legislature  ;  others,  that  they 
never  would  adopt  it,  but  keep  it  out  of  the  province  as 
they  did  the  Stamp  Act ;  and  some,  that  it  was  the  busi- 
ness of  the  Assembly,  and  not  of  justices  of  inferior 
Courts,  to  grant  licenses.  By  these  means,  the  suits  of  the 
Baptists  were  deferred,  and  the  clergy,  magistrates,  and 
mobs,  in  many  places,  continued  to  treat  them  despite- 
fully.  At  last,  the  Baptists  addressed  the  Assembly  for 
their  privileges  as  protestant  dissenters.  The  Assembly, 
instead  of  adopting  the  Toleration  Act  as  it  was  framed 
in  England,  drew  up  a  bill  something  like  it.  When 
this  made  its  appearance  in  the  publick  papers,  the  Bap- 
tibts  saw  themselves  under  a  necessity  of  remonstrating 
against  it,  and  of  renewing  their  claim  to  peace  and 
impunity,  in  consequence  of  the  Toleration  Act,  which, 
rn  their  opinion,  is  co-extensive  with  the  establishment 
of  the  Church  of  England." 


Patrick  Henry  and  others  patronise  the  Baptists.       75 

It  was  in  making  these  attempts,  that  they  were  so 
fortunate  as  to  interest  in  their  behalf  the  celebrated 
Patrick  Henry ;  being  always  the  friend  of  liberty,  he 
only  needed  to  be  informed  of  their  oppression  ;  with- 
out hesitation,  he  stepped  forward  to  their  relief.  From 
that  time,  until  the  day  of  their  complete  emancipation 
from  the  shackles  of  tyranny,  the  Baptists  found,  in 
Patrick  Henry,  an  unwavering  friend  ;  after  some  diffi- 
culty they  obtained  their  object,  and  certain  places  were 
licensed  accordingly.  But  to  a  people,  prompted  as  the 
Baptists  were,  with  unwearied  zeal  for  the  propagation 
of  the  gospel,  a  few  licensed  places  in  each  county  was 
but  a  small  acquisition  ;  they  thirsted  for  the  liberty  to 
preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature. 

In  the  mean  time,  every  thing  tended  to  favour  their 
wishes  ;  their  persecution,  so  far  from  impeding,  really 
promoted  their  cause  ;  their  preachers  had  now  become 
numerous,  and  some  of  them  were  men  of  considerable 
talents.  Many  of  the  leading  men  favoured  them,  some 
from  one  motive,  and  some  from  another  ;  their  congre- 
gations were  large,  and  when  any  of  their  men  of  talents 
preached,  they  were  crowded.  The  patient  manner  in 
which  they  suffered  persecution,  raised  their  reputation 
for  piety  and  goodness,  in  the  estimation  of  a  large  ma- 
jority of  the  people.  Their  numbers  annually  increased 
in  a  surprising  degree.  Every  month,  new  places  were 
found  by  the  preachers,  whereon  to  plant  the  Redeemer's 
standard.  In  these  places,  although  but  few  might  be- 
come Baptists,  yet  the  majority  would  be  favourable. 
Many,  who  had  expressed  great  hostility  to  them,  upon 
forming  a  more  close  acquaintance  with  them,  professed 
to  be  undeceived. 

We  have  already  seen  that  the  first  Separate  Baptist 
Church,  north  of  James-river,  was  formed  in  1767,  and 
the  second  in  1769  ;  so  that,  at  the  commencement  of 
the  year  177O,  there  were  but  two  Separate  churches  in 
all  Virginia,  north  of  James-river ;  and  we  may  add, 
there  were  not  more  than  about  four  on  the  south  side. 
In  1774,  by  referring  to  the  History  of  the  General  As- 
sociation, we  find,  that  there  were  thirty  on  the  south, 
and  twenty-four  on  the  north  side,  that  sent  letters,  &c.  to 
the  Association  ;  besides  a  probability  of  several  that  did 


76  Petitions  for  Liberty  of  Conscience. 

not  associate.  By  which  it  appears,  that  about  fifty 
churches  were  gathered  in  about  four  years,  which  must 
be  considered  a  most  rapid  and  astonishing  increase. 
But  the  Baptist  interest  increased  in  a  much  greater  pro- 
portion. So  favourable  did  their  prospects  appear,  that 
towards  the  close  of  the  year  1774,  they  began  to  en- 
tertain serious  hopes,  not  only  of  obtaining  liberty  of 
conscience,  but  of  actually  overturning  the  church  estab- 
lishment, from  whence  all  their  oppressions  had  arisen. 
Petitions  for  this  purpose  were  accordingly  drawn,  and 
circulated  with  great  industry.  Vast  numbers  readily 
and  eagerly  subscribed  to  them. 

The  great  success  and  rapid  increase  of  the  Baptists  in 
Virginia,  must  be  ascribed  primarily  to  the  power  of 
God  working  with  them  ;  yet  it  cannot  be  denied,  but 
that  there  were  subordinate  and  co-operating  causes  ; 
one  of  which,  and  the  main  one,  was  the  loose  and  im- 
moral deportment  of  the  established  clergy,  by  which 
the  people  were  left  almost  destitute  of  even  the  shadow 
of  true  religion.  It  is  true,  they  had  some  outward 
forms  of  worship,  but  the  essential  principles  of  Christi- 
anity were  not  only  not  understood  among  them,  but 
by  many  never  heard  of.  Some  of  the  cardinal  precepts 
of  morality  were  disregarded,  and  actions  plainly  for- 
bidden by  the  New-Testament  were  often  proclaimed  by 
the  clergy,  harmless  and  innocent,  or  at  worst,  foibles  of 
but  little  account.  Having  no  discipline,  every  man 
followed  the  bent  of  his  own  inclination.  It  was  not 
uncommon  for  rectors  of  parishes  to  be  men  of  the 
loosest  morals.  The  Baptist  preachers  were,  in  almost 
every  respect,  the  reverse  of  the  established  clergy; 
without  learning,  without  patronage,  generally  very 
poor,  plain  in  their  dress,  unrefined  in  their  manners, 
awkward  in  their  address  ;  all  of  which,  by  their  enter- 
prising zeal  and  unwearied  perseverance,  they  either 
turned  to  advantage,  or  prevented  their  ill  effects.  On 
the  other  hand,  most  of  the  ministers  of  the  establish- 
ment were  men  of  classical  educations,  patronised  by 
men  in  power,  connected  with  great  families,  supported 
by  competent  salaries,  and  put  into  office  by  the  strong 
arm  of  civil  power.  Thus  pampered  and  secure,  the 
men  of  this  order  were  rolling  on  the  bed  of  luxury. 


Causes  of  the  Ecclesiastical  Revolution.  77 

when  the  others  began  their  extraordinary  career. 
Their  learning,  riches,  power,  &c.  seemed  only  to  hast- 
en their  overthrow,  by  producing  an  unguarded  heed- 
lessness,  which  is  so  often  the  prelude  to  calamity  and 
downfall. 

We  are  not  to  understand,  that  this  important  ec- 
clesiastical revolution  was  effected  wholly  by  the  Bap- 
tists ;  it  is  true,  they  were  the  most  active,  but  they  were 
joined  by  other  dissenters  ;  neither  was  the  whole  dis- 
senting interest  united,  at  that  time,  equal  to  the  accom- 
plishment of  such  a  revolution  ;  but  we  must  turn  our 
eyes  to  the  political  state  of  the  country,  to  find  adequate 
causes  for  such  a  change. 

The  British  yoke  had  now  galled  to  the  quick,  and 
the  Virginians,  having  the  most  tender  necks,  were  the 
first  to  manifest  uneasiness.  Republican  principles  had 
gained  much  ground,  and  were  fast  advancing  to  superi- 
ority ;  the  leading  men  on  that  side,  viewed  the  estab- 
lished clergy  and  the  established  religion  as  inseparable 
appendages  of  Monarchy,  one  of  the  pillars  by  which  it 
was  supported.  The  dissenters,  at  least  the  Baptists, 
were  republicans  from  interest,  as  well  as  principle  ;  it 
was  known  that  their  interest  was  great  among  the  com- 
mon people  ;  and  the  common  people,  in  every  country, 
are,  more  or  less,  republicans.  To  resist  British  op- 
pressions effectually,  it  was  necessary  to  soothe  the  minds 
of  the  people,  by  every  species  of  policy.  The  dissenters 
were  too  powerful  to  be  slighted,  and  too  watchful  to 
be  cheated  by  an  ineffectual  sacrifice.  There  had  been 
a  time,  when  they  would  have  been  satisfied  to  have 
paid  their  tithes,  if  they  could  have  had  liberty  of  con- 
science ;  but  now  the  crisis  was  such,  that  nothing  less 
than  a  total  overthrow  of  all  ecclesiastical  distinctions, 
would  satisfy  their  sanguine  hopes.  Having  started  the 
decaying  edifice,  every  dissenter  put  to  his  shoulder,  to 
push  it  into  irretrievable  ruin.  The  revolutionary  party 
found  that  the  sacrifice  must  be  made,  and  they  made  it. 

It  is  said,  however,  and  probably  not  without  truth, 
that  many  of  the  Episcopalians,  who  voted  for  abolishing 
the  establishment,  did  it  upon  an  expectation  that  it 
would  be  succeeded  by  a  general  assessment ;  and,  con- 
sidering that  most  of  the  men  of  wealtlj  were  on  that 


78       Laws  by  which  the  Establishment  arose  and  fell. 

side,  they  supposed  that  their  funds  would  be  lessened 
very  little.  This,  it  appeared  in  the  sequel,  was  a  vain 
expectation.  The  people  having  once  shaken  off  the 
fetters,  would  not  again  permit  themselves  to  be  bound. 
Moreover,  the  war  now  rising  to  its  height,  they  were 
in  too  much  need  of  funds,  to  permit  any  of  their  re- 
sources to  be  devoted  to  any  other  purpose,  during  that 
period  ;  and  we  shall  see,  that  when  it  was  attempted,  a 
few  years  after  the  expiration  of  the  war,  the  people  set 
their  faces  against  it. 

Having  thus  mentioned  the  establishment,  it  will  be 
proper  to  treat  more  fully  respecting  the  origin  and  na- 
ture of  those  laws,  by  which  it  arose  and  fell. 

The  first  settlers  of  Virginia  being  chiefly  emigrants 
from  England,  brought  with  them  all  that  religious  in- 
tolerance which  had  so  long  prevailed  in  the  mother 
country.  Thus  we  see,  that  the  first  care  of  the  early 
Legislatures,  was  to  provide  for  the  Church  of  England, 
as  established  by  the  act  of  Parliament.  By  the  first  act 
of  1623,  it  is  provided,  that  in  every  plantation  or  set- 
tlement, there  shall  be  a  house  or  room  set  apart  for  the 
worship  of  God.  But  it  soon  appears  that  this  worship 
was  only  to  be  according  to  the  canons  of  the  Church  of 
England,  to  which  a  strict  uniformity  was  enjoined.  A 
person  absenting  himself  from  divine  service  on  a  Sun- 
day, without  a  reasonable  excuse,  forfeited  a  pound  of 
tobacco  ;  and  he  that  absented  himself  a  month,  forfeited 
fifty  pounds.  Any  minister,  who  was  absent  from  his 
church  above  two  months  in  a  year,  forfeited  half  his 
salary  ;  and  he  who  absented  himself  four  months,  for- 
feited the  whole.  Whoever  disparaged  a  minister, 
whereby  the  minds  of  the  parishioners  might  be  aliena- 
ted, was  compelled  to  pay  five  hundred  pounds  of  to- 
bacco, and  ask  the  minister's  pardon  publickly  in  the 
congregation.  No  man  was  permitted  to  dispose  of  any 
of  his  tobacco,  till  the  minister  was  satisfied,  under  the 
penalty  of  forfeiting  double  his  part  of  the  minister's 
salary. 

The  first  allowance  made  to  the  ministers  was  ten 
pounds  of  tobacco  and  a  bushel  of  corn  for  each  titheable ; 
and  every  labouring  person,  of  what  quality  or  condition 
soever,  was  bound  to  contribute.  In  the  year  1631, 
the  Assembly  granted  to  the  ministers,  besides  the  form- 


Statutes  against  Dissenters.  79 

er  allowance  of  ten  pounds  of  tobacco  and  a  bushel  of 
corn,  the  twentieth  calf,  the  twentieth  kid,  and  the 
twentieth  pig.  This  was  the  first  introduction  of  tythes, 
properly  so  called,  in  Virginia.  But  it  did  not  continue 
long,  for  the  law  was  repealed  in  1633. 

To  preserve  the  "purity  of  doctrine,  and  unity  of  the 
church,'*  it  was  enacted  in  1643,  that  all  ministers 
should  be  conformable  to  the  orders  and  constitutions 
of  the  Church  of  England,  and  that  no  others  be  per- 
mitted to  teach  or  preach  publickly  or  privately.  It 
was  further  provided,  that  the  Governor  and  Council 
should  take  care,  that  all  non-conformists  departed  the 
colony  with  all  conveniency. 

The  statute  of  England  of  the  3d  of  James  I.  against 
popish  recusants,  was  also  adopted  in  Virginia,  in  the 
year  1643.  This  statute  declared,  that  no  popish  recu- 
sant should  exercise  the  office  of  secret  counsellor,  regis- 
ter, commissioner,  (a  term  then  used  for  justices  of  the 
peace)  surveyor,  or  sheriff,  or  any  other  publick  office. 
Nor  should  any  person  be  admitted  into  any  of  those 
offices,  before  he  had  taken  the  oaths  of  allegiance  and 
supremacy.  The  same  act  of  Assembly,  by  which  the 
statute  of  3d  James  I.  was  adopted,  further  declared, 
that  if  any  person  should  assume  the  exercise  of  any  of 
those  offices,  and  refuse  to  take  the  said  oaths,  he  should 
be  dismissed,  and  moreover  forfeit  one  thousand  pounds 
of  tobacco.  No  popish  priest  thereafter  arriving  in  the 
colony,  was  permitted  to  remain  more  than  five  days,  if 
wind  and  weather  permitted  his  departure. 

During  the  existence  of  the  commonwealth  of  En- 
gland, the  church  government  of  Virginia  experienced 
an  important  change.  Instead  of  enjoining  obedience  to 
the  doctrine  and  discipline  of  the  Church  of  England,  no 
injunction  in  favour  of  any  particular  sect  appears.  Ev- 
ery thing  relating  to  the  affairs  of  the  church,  was  left  at 
the  entire  disposal  of  the  vestry,  who  being  elected  by 
the  people,  it  may,  in  effect,  be  said  that  the  people  reg- 
ulated their  own  church  government. 

The  Quakers  were  now  flying  from  persecution  in 
England.  They  cast  their  eyes  on  these  new  countries, 
as  asylums  of  civil  and  religious  freedom  ;  but  they  soon 
found  them  free  onlv  for  the  reigning  sect.  When  thc-v 


8O  Severe  Law  against  the  Quakers. 

first  made  their  appearance  in  Virginia,  the  utmost  de- 
gree of  persecution  was  exercised  towards  them.  Sev- 
eral acts  of  the  Virginia  Assembly  of  1650,  1662,  and 
1663,  had  made  it  penal  in  their  parents  to  refuse  to 
have  their  children  baptized  ;  had  prohibited  the  unlaw- 
ful assembling  of  the  Quakers  ;  had  made  it  penal  for 
any  master  of  a  vessel  to  bring  a  Quaker  into  the  State  j 
had  ordered  those  already  here,  and  such  as  should  come 
hereafter,  to  be  imprisoned  till  they  should  abjure  the 
country  ;  provided  a  milder  punishment  for  their  first 
and  second  return,  but  death  for  the  third  ;  had  inhibit- 
ed all  persons  from  suffering  their  meetings  in  or  near 
their  houses,  entertaining  them  individually,  or  disposing 
of  books  which  supported  their  tenets.  If  no  capital  exe- 
cution took  place  here,  as  did  in  New-England,  it  was 
not  owing  to  the  moderation  of  the  church,  or  spirit  of 
the  Legislature,  as  may  be  inferred  from  the  law  itself; 
but  to  historical  circumstances,  which  have  not  been 
handed  down  to  us. 

This  severe  law  against  the  Quakers  passed  during 
the  commonwealth,  when  the  people  were  unrestrained 
in  matters  of  religion  ;  but  it  happened  in  this  case,  as 
it  generally  has,  where  the  civil  power  undertakes  to  in- 
terfere at  all,  that  the  ruling  party  in  the  State  will  tole- 
rate no  religion  in  the  church,  but  their  own. 

A  levy  of  fifteen  pounds  of  tobacco  per  poll,  was  laid 
in  the  year  1655,  upon  all  titheables ;  the  surplus  of 
which,  after  paying  the  minister's  salary,  was  to  be  laid 
out  in  purchasing  a  glebe  and  stock  for  the  minister. 
This  law  was  re-enacted  in  the  revisal  of  1657.  After 
the  restoration  of  Chajles  II.  which  happened  on  the 
20th  of  May,  166O,  a  temporary  provision  was  again 
made  for  the  established  church. 

In  the  year  1661,  the  supremacy  of  the  Church  of 
England  was  again  fully  established.  The  first  nine  acts 
of  the  session,  held  in  March,  1661 — 2,  are  devoted  to 
that  subject.  A  church  was  to  be  built  in  each  parish, 
and  vestries  appointed.  Glebes  were  directed  to  be  pro- 
cured for  the  ministers,  and  convenient  houses  built 
thereon  ;  in  addition  to  which,  their  salaries  were  fixed 
at  8Ol.  per  annum,  at  least,  bebides  their  perquisites.  No 
minister  was  permitted  to  preach,  unless  he  had  received 


Regulations  of  religious  Worship.  81 

ordination  from  some  bishop  in  England.  If  any  per- 
son, without  such  ordination,  attempted  to  preach  pub- 
iickly  or  privately,  the  Governor  and  Council  might 
suspend  and  silence  him  ;  and,  if  he  persisted,  they  were 
empowered  to  send  him  out  of  the  country.  In  those 
parishes,  where  there  was  not  a  minister  to  officiate  every 
Sunday,  a  reader  was  to  be  appointed,  whose  duty  it  was 
to  read  divine  service  every  intervening  Sunday.  The 
Liturgy,  according  to  the  canons  of  the  church  of  En- 
gland, was  to  be  read  every  Sunday  by  the  minister  or 
reader  ;  and  the  administration  of  the  sacraments  was 
to  be  duly  observed.  No  other  catechism  than  that  in- 
serted in  the  book  of  common  prayer  could  be  taught 
by  the  minister  ;  nor  could  a  reader  attempt  to  expound 
that  or  the  Scriptures.  Ministers  were  compelled  to 
preach  every  Sunday  ;  one  Sunday  in  a  month  at  the 
chapel,  if  any,  and  the  others  at  the  parish  church,  and 
twice  a  year  he  was  compelled  to  administer  the  sacra- 
ment of  the  Lord's  Supper.  Every  person  was  compell- 
ed to  go  to  church  every  Sunday,  under  the  penalty  of 
fifty  pounds  of  tobacco.  But  Quakers  and  non-conform- 
ists were  liable  to  the  penalties  of  the  statute  of  23d  Eliz- 
abeth,which  was  20l.  sterling  for  every  month's  absence, 
and,  moreover,  for  twelve  month's  absence,  to  give 
security  for  their  good  behaviour.  Quakers  were  fur- 
ther liable  to  a  fine  of  two  hundred  pounds  of  tobacco, 
for  each  one  found  at  one  of  their  meetings  ;  and  in  case 
of  the  insolvency  of  any  one  of  them,  those  who  were 
able  were  to  pay  for  the  insolvents.* 

Various  other  laws  passed  between  the  above  period 
and  the  commencement  of  the  American  revolution,  by 
which  the  Episcopal  establishment  was  protected.  The 
salary  of  the  ministers  was  first  settled  at  sixteen  thou- 
sand pounds  of  tobacco  in  the  year  1 696,  to  be  levied  by 
the  vestry  on  the  titheables  of  their  parish,  and  so  con- 
tinued to  the  revolution.  Any  minister  admitted  into 
a  parish,  was  entitled  to  all  the  spiritual  and  temporal 
rights  thereof,  and  might  maintain  an  action  against 
any  person  who  attempted  to  disturb  him  in  his  posses- 

*  See  Hening's  statutes  ai  large,  vol.  I.  and  II.  for  the  above  Jaws,  as 
quoted  by  Mr.  ben  i 

VOL.  2.  .11 


82  Pi  tit  tons  for  and  against  the  Establishment. 

sion.     The  same  acts  provided  for  the  purchase  of  glebes 
for  the  ministers. 

Though  the  Toleration  Law  is  not  believed  to  have 
been  strictly  obligatory  in  Virginia,  yet,  as  was  frequently 
the  case  at  that  period,  it  was  acted  under  in  many  in- 
stances. That  it  was  doubtful  whether  acts  of  parlia- 
ment respecting  religion  were  in  force  in  Virginia,  ap- 
pears by  the  act  of  October,  1776,  chapter  2d,  section 
1st.  Even  this  act  of  toleration  is  a  most  flagrant  vio- 
lation of  religious  freedom. 

At  the  October  session,  1776,  the  first  law  was  passed 
suspending  the  payment  of  the  salaries  formerly  allowed 
to  the  ministers  of  the  Church  of  England.  The  pre- 
amble of  this  act  is  worthy  of  consideration,  and  was, 
probably,  drawn  by  Mr.  Jefferson,  who  was  then  a  mem- 
ber. A  number  of  memorials  from  different  religious 
societies,  dissenters  from  the  Church  of  England,  were 
presented  to  this  Assembly,  praying  to  be  exempted 
from  parochial  dues  to  the  Church  of  England,  and  for 
the  abolition  of  the  established  church.  In  opposition 
to  these,  there  was  a  memorial  from  the  clergymen  of 
the  Church  of  England,  praying  that  the  establishment 
might  be  continued. 

These  memorials  formed  the  basis  of  the  act  of  that 
session  above  mentioned.  This  act,  "  for  exempting  the 
different  societies  of  dissenters  from  contributing  to  the 
support  and  maintenance  of  the  church,  as  by  law  es- 
tablished, and  its  ministers,"  was  preceded  by  a  set  of 
resolutions,  recognizing  the  same  principles  which  were 
afterwards  engrafted  into  the  act  itself.  It  does  not 
appear  by  what  majority  this  act  passed,  as  the  ayes  and 
roes  were  not  taken  on  it.  At  the  May  session,  1777, 
the  payment  of  the  salaries,  allowed  to  the  clergy  of  the 
Church  of  England,  was  further  suspended  ;  and  at  the 
October  session,  1779,  so  much  of  every  act  as  related 
to  the  salaries  formerly  given  to  the  clergy  of  the  Church 
of  England,  was  repealed. 

The  question,  as  to  the  propriety  of  a  general  assess- 
ment, had  long  been  much  agitated,  and  a  great  variety 
of  opinions  existed  respecting  it. ,  By  the  5th  section  of 
the  act  of  October,  1776,  which  first  suspended  the  pay- 
ment of  the  salaries  allowed  to  the  clergy  of  the  Church 


Preparatory  Steps  to  its  Abolition.  83 

of  England,  this  question  as  to  a  general  assessment  is 
expressly  left  undecided. 

In  1784,  the  subject  of  a  general  assessment  was  again 
revived.  A  bill,  which  had  for  its  object  the  compelling 
of  every  person  to  contribute  to  some  religious  teacher, 
was  introduced  into  the  House  of  Delegates,  under  the 
title  of  "  A  bill,  establishing  provision  for  the  teachers 
of  the  Christian  religion  ;"  but  on  its  third  reading,  it 
was  postponed  till  the  fourth  Thursday  of  November 
then  next ;  ayes  45,  noes  38.  The  following  resolution 
was  immediately  afterwards  adopted  :  "  Resolved,  that 
the  engrossed  bill,  establishing  a  provision  for  the  teach- 
ers of  the  Christian  religion,  together  with  the  names  of 
the  ayes  and  noes  on  the  question  of  postponing  the  third 
reading  of  the  said  bill  to  the  fourth  Thursday  in  No- 
vember next,  be  published  in  hand-bills,  and  twelve 
copies  thereof  delivered  to  each  member  of  the  General 
Assembly,  to  be  distributed  in  their  respective  counties; 
arid  that  the  people  thereof  be  requested  to  signify  their 
opinion  respecting  the  adoption  of  such  a  bill  to  the 
next  session  of  Assembly." 

The  above  resolution  drew  forth  a  number  of  able 
and  animated  memorials  from  religious  societies  of  dif- 
ferent denominations,  against  the  general  assessment. 

The  General  Committee  of  the  Virginia  Baptists  took 
a  decided  stand  against  this  bill,  and  at  their  annual  ses- 
sion in  1785,  thus  expressed  their  sentiments:  Re- 
solved, that  it  be  recommended  to  those  counties, 
which  have  not  yet  prepared  petitions  to  be  presented 
to  the  General  Assembly,  against  the  engrossed  bill  for 
a  general  assessment  for  the  support  of  the  teachers  of 
the  Christian  religion,  to  proceed  thereon  as  soon  as 
possible  :  That  it  is  believed  to  be  repugnant  to  the 
spirit  of  the  gospel,  for  the  Legislature  thus  to  proceed 
in  matters  of  religion  :  That  no  human  laws  ought  to  be 
established  for  this  purpose,  but  that  every  person  ought 
to  be  left  entirely  free,  in  respect  to  matters  of  religion  : 
That  the  holy  Author  of  our  religion  needs  no  such  com- 
pulsive measures  for  the  promotion  of  his  cause  :  That 
the  gospel  wants  not  the  feeble  arm  of  man  for  its  sup- 
port :  That  it  has  made,  and  will  again,  through  divine 
power,  make  its  way  against  all  opposition  :  And  that. 


84     Prejudices  of  all  Sects  against  a  general  Assessment. 

should  the  Legislature  assume  the  right  of  taxing  the 
people  for  the  support  of  the  gospel,  it  will  be  destructive 
to  religious  liberty  :  Therefore,  this  Committee  agrees 
unanimously,  that  it  will  be  expedient  to  appoint  a  del- 
egate  to  wait  on  the  General  Assembly,  with  a  remon- 
strance and  petition  against  such  assessment.'* 

Accordingly,  the  Rev.  Reuben  Ford  was  appointed, 
•who  accomplished  the  object  of  his  appointment  to  the 
satisfaction  of  his  brethren.  But  a  paper  drawn  up  by 
Col.  James  Madison  (now  President  of  the  United  States) 
entitled  a  Memorial  and  Remonstrance,  was  the  most 
distinguished  instrument.  The  style  is  elegant  and  per- 
spicuous, and  for  strength  of  reasoning  and  purity  of 
principle,  it  has  seldom  been  equalled,  certainly  never 
surpassed,  by  any  thing  on  the  subject  in  the  English  Ian* 
guage.  (See  Appendix.) 

The  sentiments  of  the  people  appearing  to  be  decided- 
ly against  a  general  assessment,  the  question  was  given 
up  forever. 

And  here  it  is  proper  to  remark,  that  the  suppression 
of  the  bill  for  a  general  assessment  may,  in  a  considerable 
degree,  be  ascribed  to  the  opposition  made  to  it  by  the 
Baptists ;  for  it  is  stated  by  those  who  were  conversant 
with  the  proceedings  of  those  times,  that  the  reference 
made  to  the  people,  after  the  bill  was  engrossed,  was 
done  with  a  design  to  give  the  different  religious  socie- 
ties an  opportunity  of  expressing  their  wishes.  The 
Baptists,  we  believe,  were  the  only  sect  who  plainly  re- 
monstrated. Of  some  others,  it  is  said,  that  the  laity 
and  ministry  were  at  variance  upon  the  subject,  so  as  to 
paralyze  their  exertions,  either  for  or  against  the  bill. 
These  remarks,  by  the  bye,  apply  only  to  religious  socie- 
ties, acting  as  such.  Individuals  of  all  sects  and  parties 
joined  in  the  opposition.  "  And  Presbyterians,  Baptists, 
Quakers,  Methodists,  Deists,  and  the  covetous,  readily  and 
eagerly  signed  the  petitions  against  it."" 

At  the  same  session,  however,  (Oct.  1784)  in  which 
the  bill  providing  for  a  general  assessment  failed,  an  act 
passed  for  "  incorporating  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church."  This  bill  passed  the  House  of  Delegates  by  a 

*.  Leland's  Virginia  Chronicle,  p?.?r 


All  Dissenters  authorized  to  solemnize  Marriages.     85 

small  majority  only,  being,  ayes  47,  noes  38  ;  but  in 
1786  it  was  repealed.  By  the  repealing  law,  the  prop- 
erty belonging  to  all  religious  societies  was  secured  to 
those  societies  respectively,  who  were  authorized  to  ap- 
point, from  time  to  time,  according  to  the  rules  of  their 
sect,  trustees  for  the  managing  and  applying  such  prop- 
erty to  the  religious  uses  of  the  society.  And  all  laws, 
which  prevented  any  religious  society  from  regulating  its 
own  discipline,  were  repealed. 

Under  the  old  ecclesiastical  establishment,  no  person 
could  celebrate  the  rites  of  matrimony  but  a  minister 
of  the  Church  of  England,  and  according  to  the  cere- 
mony prescribed  in  the  book  of  common  prayer.  Cases, 
however,  frequently  occurred,  especially  during  the  war, 
where  the  marriage  ceremony  was  performed  by  others. 
This  gave  rise  to  an  act  of  October,  1780,  which  declared 
all  former  marriages,  celebrated  by  dissenting  ministers, 
good  and  valid  in  law  ;  and  authorized  the  county 
courts  to  license  dissenting  ministers  of  the  gospel,  not 
exceeding  four  to  each  sect,  to  celebrate  the  rites  of 
matrimony  within  their  counties  only.  The  General 
Committee  also  interested  themselves  in  these  proceed- 
ings, and  delegated  Messrs.  Reuben  Ford  and  John  Le- 
land  to  wait  on  the  Assembly  with  a  memorial  on  the 
subject. 

It  was  not  until  the  year  1784,  that  the  dissenters  were 
put  on  the  same  footing  as  all  other  persons,  with  re- 
spect to  celebrating  the  rites  of  matrimony.  By  this  act, 
the  marriage  ceremony  might  be  performed  by  any  min- 
ister licensed  to  preach,  according  to  the  rules  of  the 
sect  of  which  he  professed  to  be  a  member.  The  same 
act  has  been  incorporated  in  the  late  revisal  of  the  Vir» 
ginia  laws. 

It  appears  that  many  of  the  Baptist  preachers  among 
other  dissenters,  presuming  on  a  future  sanction  of  gov- 
ernment, had  ventured  to  marry  those  who  applied  to 
them.  For  a  set  of  preachers  to  proceed  to  solemnize 
the  rites  of  matrimony,  without  any  law  to  authorize 
them,  may,  at  first  view,  appear  to  be  a  heedless  and 
censurable  measure.  But  we  are  informed  that  they 
were  advised  to  it  by  their  friend  Patrick  Henry,  as  be- 
ing the  most  certain  method  of  obtaining  the  law  which- 


86  Fifteen  Associations  in  Virginia* 

they  had  in  view.  Their  attempts  succeeded.  But  it  is 
still  a  question  with  some,  whether  this  was  not  doing  evil 
that  good  might  come. 

The  Legislature  of  1798  repealed  all  laws  vesting  prop- 
erty in  the  hands  of  any  religious  sect,  by  which  the  Epis- 
copalians were  deprived  of  the  glebes,  &c.  by  which  all 
religious  sects  were  put  into  a  state  of  perfect  equality, 
ab  it  respected  the  favours  of  government.* 


CHAP.  VIII. 

HISTORY  OF  ASSOCIATIONS    IN  VIRGINIA. 

As  we  have  entered  largely  into  the  general  history 
of  the  Baptists  in  this  State,  we  must  be  the  more  brief 
and  comprehensive  in  that  of  the  Associations  which  it 
contains. 

In  the  year  1772,  the  time  in  which  Morgan  Edwards's 
MS.  history  of  Virginia  Baptists  closes,  there  were  but 
two  Associations  in  the  State,  one  of  the  Regulars  and 
one  of  the  Separates.  The  former  was  called  Ketockton, 
and  contained  14  churches;  and  the  latter  Rapid-ann, 
or  the  General  Association  of  Separates,  and  contained 
19.  In  both  Associations  there  were  33  churches,  32 
ordained  ministers,  and  3,603  members. 

In  the  year  18099  according  to  Semple's  History, 
there  were  fifteen  Associations,  wholly  in  the  State  of 
Virginia,  and  four  others,  of  which  a  part  of  the  church- 
es were  in  Virginia,  and  a  part  in  a  number  of  the 
adjacent  States ;  and  in  all  these  Associations  there 
were  294  churches,  about  1  SO  ordained  ministers,  who 
were  stationed  pastors  of  churches,  besides  a  large  num- 
ber who  were  not  settled  in  the  capacity  of  pastors,  and 
3 1,O52  members  or  communicants;  which  makes  the 
increase  of  Baptist  communicants  in  this  State,  for  37 
years,  27,449,  besides  many  thousands  who  have  removed 
to  Kentucky  and  other  parts  of  the  western  country. 

Of  the  fifteen  Associations  which  are  wholly  in  Vir- 
ginia, six  lie  north  of  James-river,  viz.  Ketockton,  Cul- 

*  Most  of  the  above  history  of  the  laws  cf  Virginia,  respecting  religion,  was 
famished  by  William  W.  Henning,  Esq. 


Dover  Association  the  largest  in  America.  87 

pepper,  Albemarle,  Goshen,  Dover,  and  Accornack  j  six, 
south  of  James-river,  viz.  Portsmouth,  Middle  District, 
Meherrin,  Appomattox,  Roanoke,  and  Strawberry  ;  and 
three  west  of  the  Alleghany  mountains,  viz.  New-river, 
Greenbrier,andUnion.  Those  four,  a  part  of  which  only 
lie  in  Virginia,  are  Mayo, on  the  borders  of  Virginia, North- 
Carolina,  and  Tennessee ;  Holston,  on  the  borders  of 
Virginia  and  Tennessee  ;  and  Redstone,  on  the  borders 
of  Virginia,  Pennsylvania,  and  Ohio.  The  Redstone, 
Greenbrier,  and  Union  Associations  proceeded  in  part, 
and  the  last  of  them  indirectly,  from  the  Ketockton  As- 
sociation ;  the  history  of  which  may  be  found  in  the  ac- 
count of  the  Regular  Baptists.  The  Accomack  Associa- 
tion was  formed  of  the  churches  which  were  dismissed 
for  the  purpose,  from  the  Salisbury  Association  in  Mary- 
land ;  the  Portsmouth  was  formed  by  the  division  of  the 
Kehukee  Association  of  North-Carolina  ;  and  the  remain- 
ing 13  all  originated  from  the  Separates,  and  compre- 
hend the  main  body  of  the  Baptists  in  Virginia. 

It  has  already  been  related  in  the  history  of  the  Gen- 
eral Association,  that  this  extensive  body,  from  motives 
of  convenience,  in  1783,  divided  into  four  district"' 
Associations  ;  two  of  which  were  on  the  north  and  two 
on  the  south  side  of  James-river.  The  names  of  those 
on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  were  Dover  and  Orange  ; 
those  on  the  south  side,  were  called  Middle  District  and 
Roanoke. 

This  division  was  at  first,  however,  rather  nominal 
than  real ;  for  although  the  two  grand  divisions  acted 
in  distinct  capacities  from  the  year  1783,  yet  it  was  not 
until  the  year  1788  that  their  subdivision  was  complete- 
ly effected.  These  two  great  sections  appear  to  have 
met  together  once  a  year,  and  the  four  districts  besides 
had  one  session  in  a  year  by  themselves,  until  17S-S, 
when  the  lines  were  distinctly  drawn,  and  the  four  As- 
sociations formally  organized. 

The  Dover  Association  deserves  first  to  be  mentioned, 
as  it  is  the  largest  body  of  Baptist  communicants  in 
America,  and  probably  in  any  part  of  the  world  j  al- 

*  It  is  proper  to  inform  the  reader  that  the  term  district  here,  and  wherever 
it  occurs  in  the  history  ot"  the  Virginia  Associations,  has  no  reference  to  any- 
civil  departments  in  the  St 


88      Several  Associations  divide,  and  form  new  Bodies, 

though  it  contains  but  37  churches,  and  but  24  ordained 
ministers,  who  are  pastors  of  churches.  This  Associa- 
tion, in  1809,  contained  9623  members,  many,  and  per- 
haps some  thousands  of  whom,  were  Africans.  The 
largest  church  in  this  body  is  called  Nominy,  in  the 
county  of  Westmoreland,  under  the  pastoral  care  of  Rev. 
Henry  Toler,  and  contained  at  the  time  above  mentioned 
875  members. 

The  Orange  Association,  in  1791,  was  divided  into 
three,  which  were  called  Goshen,  Albemarle,  and  Cul- 
pepper,  so  that  the  original  name  of  the  Association  was 
lost. 

The  Middle  District  Association  experienced  a  similar 
division,  except  that  it  retained  its  original  name  in  1 803, 
when  two  new  Associations  were  formed  from  it,  which 
were  named  Meherrin,  and  Appomattox. 

The  Roanoke  Association  was  divided  in  1791,  and  a 
new  Association  by  the  name  of  Dan  river  was  formed 
from  it.  But  this  new  establishment  was  of  short 
duration  ;  for  after  two  sessions,  it  declined  its  travel, 
and  was  re-united  to  its  mother  body.  But  in  1794,  a 
more  permanent  division  of  this  body  was  effected ;  and 
as  many  of  the  churches  were  in  North-Carolina,  they 
were  all  dismissed  to  form  a  new  Association,  which  was 
called  Flat-river,  whose  history  will  be  related,  when  we 
come  to  the  State  in  which  it  is  situated. 

The  Strawberry  Association  is  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  mountains,  near  the  southern  line  of  the  State. 
It  was  formed  in  1776,  seven  years  before  the  dissolution 
of  the  General  Association,  and  appears  to  have  been 
some  of  the  early  fruits  of  the  Separate  preachers,  who 
went  almost  eveiy  where  throughout  the  State,  preach- 
ing the  gospel.  The  first  labourers  within  the  bounds 
of  this  Association  were  the  two  Murphies,  William  and 
Joseph,  Samuel  Harris,  and  Dutton  Lane.  Several  preach- 
ers were  also  raised  up  soon  after  the  rise  of  the  Baptists 
in  these  parts,  the  most  distinguished  and  the  most  use- 
ful of  whom  was  Robert  Stockton,  who,  after  labouring 
a  few  years  with  much  success  in  these  parts,  removed 
to  Kentucky,  and  is  now  one  of  the  the  principal  minis- 
ters in  the  Green-river  Association,  in  that  State. 

In  1 793,  the  Strawberry  Association  was  divided,  and 


The  Baptists  experience  a  wintry  Season.  S9 

the  Blue  Ridge  became  tha  dividing  line  ;  the  churches, 
to  the  west  of  which,  united  under  the  name  of  the  New- 
river  Association.  This  appears  to  be  the  smallest  Asso- 
ciation in  Virginia. 

The  Association  was  divided  again  in  1798,  and  the 
Mayo  Association  was  taicen  from  it,  which  is  composed 
of  churches  partly  in  Virginia,  and  partly  in  North- 
Carolina. 

The  history  of  the  Mountain  and  Holsten  Associations 
will  be  given  under  the  heads  of  North-Carolina  and 
Tennessee,  and  that  of  the  Portsmouth  and  Accomack,  in 
treating  of  the  respective  Associations  from  which  they 
proceeded.  And  the  number  and  names  of  all  the 
churches  in  all  the  Associations  in  Virginia,  which  have 
been  described  or  mentioned,  and  also  the  names  of  their 
pastors,  the  years  in  which  they  were  constituted,  and 
the  counties  in  which  they  are  situated,  may  be  seen  in 
the  table  of  Associations. 


CHAP.  IX. 

General  Observations  on  the  Progress  and  Circumstances  of  the 
Virginia  Baptists,  from  the  Abolition  of  the  Established 
Church  to  the  present  Time. 

THE  war,  though  very  propitious  to  the  liberty  of  the 
Baptists,  had  an  opposite  effect  upon  the  life  of  religion 
among  them.  As  if  persecution  were  more  favourable 
to  vital  piety  than  unrestrained  liberty,  they  seem  to 
have  abated  in  their  zeal,  upon  being  unshackled  from 
their  manacles.  This  may  be  ascribed  to  several  causes. 
Both  preachers  and  people  were  so  much  engrossed  with 
anxious  thoughts  and  schemes  for  effecting  the  revolu- 
tion, as  well  as  with  alternate  hopes  and  fears  for  the 
event,  it  was  not  probable  that  religion  should  not  lose 
some  portion  of  its  influence  upon  the  minds  of  profes- 
sors thus  engaged.  The  downfal  of  Jeremiah  Walker, 
and  some  other  preachers  of  less  note,  together  with  the 
contentions  arising  from  Waller's  defection,  contributed 
not  a  little  towards  damping  the  zeal  of  the  Baptists. 

VOL.  2.  12 


9O  A  great  Revival  of  Religion  ; 

Having  lost  some  of  their  champions  in  Israel,  they 
could  not  with  the  same  boldness  face  their  enemies.  Per- 
haps we  may  add,  that  many  did  not  rightly  estimate  the 
true  source  of  liberty,  nor  ascribe  its  attainment  to  the 
proper  arm.  In  consequence  of  which,  God  sent  them 
liberty,  and  with  it  leanness  of  soul.  This  chill  to  their 
religious  affections  might  have  subsided  with  the  war, 
or  perhaps  sooner,  if  there  had  not  been  subsequent  oc- 
currences, which  tended  to  keep  them  clown.  The 
opening  a  free  trade  by  peace,  served  as  a  powerful  bait 
to  entrap  professors,  who  were  in  any  great  degree  in- 
clined to  the  pursuit  of  wealth.  And  nothing  is  more 
common,  than  for  the  increase  of  riches  to  produce  a  de- 
crease of  piety.  Kentucky  and  the  western  country  took 
off  many  of  the  preachers,  who  had  once  been  exceedingly 
successful  in  the  ministry.  From  whatever  cause,  cer- 
tain it  is,  that  they  suffered  a  very  wintry  season.  With 
some  few  exceptions,  the  declension  was  general  through- 
out the  State.  The  love  of  many  waxed  cold.  Some 
of  the  watchmen  fell,  others  stumbled,  and  many  slum- 
bered at  their  posts.  Iniquity  greatly  abounded.  As- 
sociations were  but  thinly  attended,  and  the  business 
badly  conducted.  The  long  and  great  declension  in- 
duced many  to  fear  that  the  times  of  refreshing  would 
never  come,  but  that  God  had  wholly  forsaken  them. 

But  the  set  time  to  favour  Zion  at  length  arrived  ;  and 
3.5  the  declension  had  been  general,  so  also  was  the  re- 
vival which  succeeded.  This  work,  which  was  very 
powerful  and  extensive,  begun  on  the  banks  of  James- 
river,  in  1785,  and  thence  spread  like  fire  among  stub- 
ble in  different  directions,  over  almost  the  whole  State  j 
and  as  it  continued  for  several  years,  there  were  very 
few  churches  which  were  not  visited  with  its  salutary 
influence. 

During  the  progress  of  this  revival,  scenes  were  ex- 
hibited, somewhat  extraordinary.  It  was  not  unusual 
to  have  a  large  proportion  of  the  congregation  prostrate 
on  the  floor,  and  in  some  instances  they  lost  the  use  of 
their  limbs.  No  distinct  articulation  could  be  heard, 
unless  from  those  immediately  by.  Screams,  groans, 
.shouts  and  hosannas,  notes  of  grief  and  joy,  all  at  the 
same  time,  were  not  unfrequently  heard  throughout  their 


But  not  many  new  Preachers  raised  up.  91 

vast  assemblies.  At  Associations  and  great  meeting?, 
where  there  were  several  ministers,  many  of  them  would 
exercise  their  gifts  at  the  same  time,  in  different  parts 
of  the  congregation  ;  some  in  exhortation,  some  in  pray- 
ing for  the  distressed,  and  some  in  argument  with  op- 
posers.  At  first,  many  of  the  preachers  disapproved  of 
these  exercises,  as  being  enthusiastick  and  extravagant. 
Others  fanned  them  as  fire  from  heaven.  It  is  not  un- 
worthy of  notice,  that  in  those  congregations,  where 
preachers  encouraged  them  to  much  extent,  the  work 
was  more  extensive,  and  greater  numbers  were  added. 
It  must  also  be  admitted,  that  in  many  of  those  congre- 
gations, no  little  confusion  and  disorder  arose,  after  the 
revival  had  subsided.  Some  have  accounted  for  this 
by  an  old  maxim  ;  Where  much  good  is  done,  much  evil  will 
also  be  done  ;  where  God  sows  many  good  seeds,  the  enemy 
will  sow  many  tares.  But  certain  it  is,  that  many  min- 
isters, who  laboured  earnestly  to  get  Christians  into  their 
churches,  were  afterwards  much  perplexed  to  get  hypo- 
crites out. 

It  has  been  already  said,  that  this  revival  commenced 
jn  the  year  1785.  It  continued  spreading,  until  about 
1791  or  17^2.  Thousands  were  converted  and  baptizeds 
besides  many  who  joined  the  Methodists  and  Presbyte- 
rians. The  Episcopalians,  although  much  dejected  by 
the  loss  of  the  establishment,  had,  nevertheless,  continued 
their  publick  worship,  and  were  attended  by  respectable 
congregations.  But  after  this  revival,  their  society  fell 
fast  into  dissolution.  This  revival  among  the  Baptists 
did  not  produce  so  many  young  preachers,  as  might 
have  been  expected.  Mr.  Leland,  in  his  Virginia  Chron- 
icle, from  which  many  of  the  foregoing  remarks  have 
been  taken,  makes  the  following  observation  : 

"  In  the  late  great  additions  that  have  been  made  to 
the  churches,  there  are  but  few,  who  have  engaged  in 
the  ministry.  Whether  it  is  because  the  old  preachers 
stand  in  their  way  ;  or,  whether  it  is  because  the  people 
do  not  pray  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  to  thrust  out  la- 
bourers ;  or,  whether  it  is  not  rather  a  judgment  of  God 
upon  the  people,  for  neglecting  those  who  are  already  in 
the  work,  not  communicating  to  them  in  all  good  tiling^ 
I  cannot  say." 


92  Preachers  more  popular  and  less  fervent. 

From  this  revival,  great  changes  took  place  among  the 
Baptists,  some  for  the  better,  and  others  for  the  worse. 
Their  preachers  were  become  much  more  correct  in  their 
manner  of  preaching.  A  great  many  odd  tones,  disgust- 
ing whoops,  and  awkward  gestures  were  disused.  In 
their  matter  also,  they  had  more  of  sound  sense  and 
strong  reasoning.  Their  zeal  was  less  mixed  with  en- 
thusiastn,  and  their  piety  became  more  rational.  They 
were  much  more  numerous,  and  of  course,  in  the  eyes 
of  the  world  more  respectable.  Besides,  they  were  join- 
ed by  persons  of  much  greater  weight  in  civil  society. 
Their  congregations  became  more  numerous  than  those 
of  any  other  Christian  sect ;  and  in  short,  they  might  be 
considered,  from  this  period,  as  taking  the  lead  in  mat- 
ters of  religion,  in  many  places  of  the  State.  This  could 
not  but  influence  their  manners  and  spirit  more  or  less. 
Accordingly,  a  great  deal  of  that  simplicity  and  plainness, 
that  rigid  scrupulosity  about  little  matters,  which  so  hap- 
pily tends  to  keep  us  at  a  distance  from  greater  follies, 
was  laid  aside.  Their  mode  of  preaching  also  was  some- 
what changed.  At  their  first  entrance  into  the  State, 
though  not  very  scrupulous  as  to  their  method  and  lan- 
guage, yet  they  were  quite  correct  in  their  views  upon 
all  subjects  of  primary  importance.  No  preachers  ever 
dealt  out  to  their  hearers  the  nature  of  experimental  re- 
ligion more  clearly  and  warmly.  But  after  they  had  ac- 
quired a  degree  of  respectability  in  the  view  of  the  world, 
they  departed  too  much  from  this  most  profitable  mode 
of  preaching,  and  began  to  harp  on  opinions  and  disputa- 
ble points.  To  dive  deep  into  mysterious  subjects,  and. 
to  make  conjectures  respecting  unrevealed  points,  looked 
more  wise,  and  excited  more  applause,  than  to  travel  on 
in  the  old  track.  And  this  tampering  with  matters  be- 
yond their  reach,  to  the  neglect  of  plain  and  edify- 
ing subjects,  is  too  common  at  present,  with  many  of 
our  preachers  in  this  region,  as  well  as  elsewhere. 

About  this  time,  some  of  the  Virginia  preachers  were 
unhappily  inclined  to  the  Arminian  scheme,  and  great 
disputation  followed,  and  many,  in  opposing  their  er- 
rors, were  driven  to  the  borders,  if  not  within  the  lines, 
of  Antinomianism.  And  in  the  midst  of  these  doctrinal 
contentions,  as  might  be  expected,  practical  piety  was, 


Neglect  of  Churches  in  their  Maintenance.          U3 

in  many  places,  too  little  urged  ;  and  this  evil  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  relaxation  in  the  discipline  of  the  churches. 
But  the  savour  of  the  revival  still  pervaded  the  churches, 
and  prevented  the  general  prevalence  of  the  evils  which 
have  been  mentioned. 

Since  the  close  of  this  extraordinary  revival  to  the 
present  time,  which  is  about  20  years,  there  has  been  an 
increase  of  about  ten  thousand  Baptist  communicants  in 
Virginia ;  and  during  that  period,  it  is  supposed,  that 
from  five  to  seven  thousand  of  the  community  have  emi- 
grated to  Kentucky,  and  other  parts  of  the  western 
country. 

Although  many  of  the  churches  in  this  State  are  very 
large,  wealthy,  and  flourishing,  yet  but  few  of  them  af- 
ford their  pastors  a  competent  support,  and  but  few  of 
their  pastors  confine  their  labours  statedly  to  one  con- 
gregation. It  is  not  uncommon  for  a  preacher  here  to 
have  the  pastoral  care  of  two,  three,  and  sometimes  four 
churches,  at  the  same  time  ;  to  which  he  preaches  and 
administers  the  Lord's  Supper  once  in  four  weeks ;  and 
we  are  sorry  to  have  it  to  say,  that  this  minister,  besides 
travelling  an  extensive  circuit,  to  administer  to  so  many 
flocks,  is  obliged  frequently,  and  indeed  more  generally, 
to  procure  a  considerable  part  of  his  living  by  his  own 
exertions  and  care ;  so  negligent  are  the  Virginia  Baptists 
in  the  business  of  supporting  their  preachers. 

But  if  a  preacher  here  does  not  exercise  the  pastoral 
care  of  but  one  church,  instead  of  preaching  every  Lord's 
day  in  one  place,  he  is  at  liberty  to  travel  abroad,  to 
visit  other  churches ;  and  if  he  preaches  and  administers 
the  communion  statedly  to  his  flock  once  a  month,  that 
is  all  he  or  the  people  of  his  charge  consider  him  bound 
to  do.  Some,  however,  do  preach  every  Lord's  day  to 
the  same  congregation  ;  but  the  cases,  I  believe,  are  not 
frequent.  The  reader  must  not  suppose  that  the  preach- 
ers are  idle  the  intervening  sabbaths,  for  they  are  a  la- 
borious  set  of  men,  travel  much,  and  preach  abundantly  j 
and  such  is  the  situation  of  their  churches,  that  this  ar- 
rangement is  not  so  objectionable  here,  as  it  would  be  in 
many  places  elsewhere.  It  is  said,  that  this  economical 
method  of  supplying  many  churches  with  a  few  minis- 
ters, and  of  having  such  long  or  monthly  weeks,  if  we  may 


94-  Bapi'nt  Church  in  the  City  of  Richmond. 

so  call  them,  originated  with  the  rise  of  the  Baptists  in 
the  country,  when  there  were  many  churches  suddenly 
raised  up,  and  but  a  few  ministers  to  supply  them.  This 
same  custom  prevails  in  most  of  the  churches  throughout 
the  back  parts  of  the  Carolinas  and  Georgia,  and  also  in 
Kentucky  and  the  western  country.  It  will,  therefore, 
be  more  particularly  noticed,  and  the  advantages  and  dis- 
advantages of  it  stated,  in  the  chapter  of  general  obser- 
vations. 

The  Baptists  in  this  State  seem  to  have  had  but  little 
ambition  in  the  erection  of  their  houses  for  worship,  as 
they  are  generally  of  a  very  inferior  kind  ;  and  it  is  cer- 
tainly better  for  a  church  of  Christ,  to  worship  in  a  small 
and  homely  house,  which  they  can  call  their  own,  than 
to  have  a  costly  edifice,  built  mostly  on  credit,  and  no- 
body knows  when  or  how  it  is  to  be  paid  for  ;  or  even 
in  one,  the  expenses  of  which  have  been  mostly  defrayed 
by  people  of  the  world,  and  which  is  generally,  for  that 
reason,  under  their  management  and  control.  The  Bap- 
tists here,  it  is  true,  are  many  of  them  poor  ;  but  some 
are  rich  ;  and  one  would  think  by  their  appearance  at 
home,  that  there  are  enough  in  every  church  of  suffi- 
cient ability  to  erect  for  themselves  more  decent  and 
commodious  houses  of  worship,  than  those  small,  unsight- 
ly, and  inconvenient  things  in  which  they  now  assemble. 
While  their  brethren  to  the  north  and  south  of  them, 
have  the  largest  and  most  flourishing  churches  in  many 
of  the  largest  cities  and  towns,  the  Virginia  Baptists  seem, 
for  the  most  part,  to  have  cautiously  avoided  all  popu- 
lous places  ;  and  although  there  are  a  few  churches  in 
some  of  the  principal  towns,  yet  they  do  not  generally 
appear  to  have  much  prosperity  or  reputation  ;  and  one 
reason  for  this  may  be,  that  the  preachers  in  these 
churches  are,  instead  of  being  men  of  popular  and  com- 
manding talents,  with  very  few  exceptions,  of  a  directly 
opposite  character. 

The  city  of  Richmond  is  remarkable  for  containing  a 
respectable  church,  of  between  5  and  60O  members,  most 
of  whom  are  blacks  ;  for  having  a  neat  and  commodious 
brick  meeting-house  ;  and  also  lor  being  statedly  supplied 
by  the  labours  of  their  worthy  pastor,  Rev.  J.  Courtney, 
ro  whom  they  grant  a  moderate  support.  Besides  Mr. 


Observations  on  the  Baptist  Preachers  in  Virginia.    95 

Courtney,  there  are,  in  the  city  of  Richmond,  a  number  of 
Baptist  ministers,  who  preach  occasionally  in  the  city  and 
in  the  country  around,  among  whom  is  the  Rev.  Jacob 
Griggs,  a  native  of  England,  who  was  educated  in  the 
Baptist  Academy  at  Bristol,  and  was  one  of  the  Mission- 
aries sent  out  by  the  Baptist  Missionary  Society  in  En- 
gland, to  the  colony  of  Sierra  Leone  in  Africa. 

There  has  been  a  Baptist  church  in  the  town  of  Nor- 
folk about  eight  years,  and  Baptist  members  much 
longer.  But  they  have  been  cursed  with  an  almost  reg- 
ular succession  of  impostors  for  a  number  of  years  ;  some 
of  whom  have  had  the  pastoral  care  of  the  church,  and 
others  have  only  had  a  transient  residence  amongst  them  ; 
and  amongst  the  race  of  impostors,  by  whom  they  have 
been  harassed  and  degraded,  we  find  that  notorious  vag- 
abond and  deceiver,  Andrew  Harpending,  who  has  com- 
mitted in  most  of  the  United  States,  in  a  most  shameless 
manner,  many  shameful  acts  of  deception,  intemperance, 
and  uncleanness. 

The  Virginia  Baptists  have,  from  their  rise,  been  bless- 
ed with  a  very  respectable  number  of  distinguished 
preachers ;  men  of  strong  natural  powers,  and  deep  ac- 
quaintance with  divine  things  ;  but  very  few  of  them, 
however,  have  been  distinguished  for  literary  acquire- 
ments. They  have  been  a  set  of  bold,  incessant,  and  suc- 
cessful itinerants,  rather  than  students  and  scholars.  The 
circumstances  of  their  churches  and  brethren,  throughout 
their  extensive  State,  have  always  been  such,  that  they 
have  doubtless  been  much  more  abundantly  useful  in  this 
mode  of  life,  than  they  could  have  been  in  the  retirement 
and  labour  of  the  closet.  Rev.  Jeremiah  More,  who  is 
esteemed  one  of  their  greatest  divines,  in  17*^5,  when  he 
was  49  years  old,  had  travelled  for  the  purpose  of  preach- 
ing, and  that  mostly  in  his  own  State,  distances  suffi- 
cient to  reach  twice  round  the  earth  1 

Though  there  are  but  a  few  of  their  preachers  who 
can  make  much  pretensions  to  learning,  yet  a  desire  for 
it  seems  to  be  prevailing  ;  and  it  is  hoped  that  they  will 
soon  adopt  some  more  efficient  measures  for  its  pro- 
motion than  they  have  hitherto  done. 

The  Episcopalians,  who  once  governed  with  such  un- 
limited and  irresistible  sway,  in  the  ecclesiastical  affairs 


Beginning  of  the  Baptists  hi  North-Carolina.        96 

of  Virginia,  have  become  reduced  to  a  comparatively  few 
congregations.  The  Presbyterians  are  considerably  nu- 
merous in  many  parts  of  the  State.  The  Methodists 
have,  within  a  few  years  past,  gained  much  ground  here, 
and,  in  some  places,  have  increased  at  the  expense  of  the 
Baptists,  and,  perhaps,  in  none  more  than  in  those  places 
where  they  have  taken  the  greatest  pains  to  prevent  them. 
This  is  peculiarly  the  case  in  a  number  of  the  churches 
in  the  Ketockton  Association,  many  of  whose  ministers 
value  themselves  in  defending  the  deep  and  mysterious 
points  of  Calvinism,  and  in  satirizing  and  exploding  the 
errors  of  Wesley  and  his  disciples.  But  notwithstanding 
all  their  exertions,  the  Methodists  still  prevail,  and  the 
unseasonableness  and  dogmatical  manner  in  which  they 
oppose  their  sentiments,  and  defend  their  own,  seems  to 
hasten  the  flight  of  those  who  are  inclined  towards  them. 
These  are  notorious  and  much  to  be  lamented  facts,  and 
it  is  hoped  that  those  preachers  who  are  implicated  in 
these  remarks,  will  profit  by  them  for  the  future. 


CHAP.  X. 

NORTH-CAROLINA. 

ACCORDING  to  Morgan  Edwards's  account,*  there 
were  some  individual  Baptists  in  this  State  as  early  as 
1695  ;  but  it  appears  that  the  first  church  which  ever 
existed  within  its  bounds,  was  gathered  by  one  Paul 
Palmer,  about  the  year  1727,  at  a  place  called  Perqui- 
mans,  on  Chowan-river,  towards  the  northeast  corner 

*  Mr.  Edwards  introduces  his  history  of  the  Baptists  in  this  State  (then 
Province)  in  die  following  familiar  and  humourous  manner :  "  Next  to  Virginia 
southward  is  North-Carolina,  a  poor  and  unhappy  Province,  where  superiors 
make  complaints  of  the  people,  and  the  people  ot  their  superiors ;  which  com- 

Elaints,  if  just,  show  the  body  politic  to  be  like  that  of  Israel  in  the  time  of 
>aiah,  "  from  the  sole  of  the  toot  to  the  crown  of  the  head  without  any  soundness, 
but  wounds  and  bruises  and  putrifying  sores."  These  complaints  rose  to  hos- 
tilities at  Ahnance-creek,  May  16,  1771,  where  about  6000  appeared  in  arms 
and  fought  each  other,  4000  Regulators  killing  three  Tryonians,  and  2000  Try- 
onians  killing  twelve  Regulators,  besides  lodging  in  the  trees  an  incredible  num- 
ber of  balls,  which  the  hunters  have  since  picked  out,  and  therewith  have  kill- 
ed more  deer  and  turkies,  than  they  killed  of  their  atagonists.  In  this  wretch  - 
ed  P  ->vince  have  been  some  Baptists  since  the  settlement  in  1695,  but  no  socie- 
ty of  them  till  about  the  year,"  &c. 


William  Sojourner  collects  a  Church.  97 

of  the  State.  Mr.  Palmer  is  said  to  have  been  a  native  of 
Maryland,  was  baptized  at  Welsh  tract,  in  Delaware,  by 
Owen  Thomas,  the  pastor  of  the  church  in  that  place  j 
was  ordained  in  Connecticut ;  was  some  time  in  New- 
Jersey,  and  then  in  Maryland  ;  he  at  last  removed  to 
North-Carolina,  where  he  gathered  the  church  above 
mentioned,  with  which  he  continued,  not,  however, 
without  some  difficulties,  until  his  death.  He  appears 
to  have  been  the  instrument  of  doing  some  good,  but 
was  not  so  happy  as  to  leave  a  good  character  behind 
him.  Mr.  John  Comer,  of  Newport,  Rhode-Island, 
maintained  a  correspondence  with  him  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  frequently  makes  mention  of  him  in  his  MS. 
journal,  in  respectful  terms.* 

Not  long  after  Palmer  settled  in  North-Carolina,  one 
Joseph  Parker,!  who  was  probably  one  of  his  disciples, 
began  to  preach  in  the  same  region  ;  and  though  Palm- 
er died  before,  yet  Parker  lived  and  continued  his  min- 
istry on  the  old  plan,  till  after  the  formation  and  also 
the  renovation  of  the  Kehukee  Association,  which  will 
soon  be  described. 

About  the  year  i  742,  one  William  Sojourner,  who  is 
said  to  have  been  a  most  excellent  man  and  useful  minis- 
ter, removed  with  many  of  his  brethren  from  Burley,  in 
Virginia,  and  settled  on  Kehukee  creek,  in  the  county  of 
Halifax,  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  northwest 
of  Newbern,  and  the  same  year  planted  the  church  in 
that  place,  which  continues  to  the  present  day.  This 
church  has  seen  prosperous  days,  and  has  been  a  mother 
to  many  others,  the  number  and  names  of  which,  I  am 
not  able  to  give. 

Most  of  the  first  Baptists  in  North-Carolina  are  said 
to  have  emigrated  from  the  church  of  Burley,  in  Virgin- 
ia ;  but  by  the  labours  of  Palmer,  Parker,  and  Sojourner, 

*  I  found  one  of  Mr.  Palmer's  letters  to  Mr.  Comer,  dated  1 729,  among 
Mr.  Backus's  papers,  which,  with  Mr.  Comer's  journal,  have  helped  me  to  a 
numtier  of  dates  and  articles,  which  I  could  not  find  elsewhere. 

f  I  find  in  Mr.  Comer's  journal,  mention  made  of  one  of  Mr.  Palmer's  let- 
ters, which  was  dated  1729  ;  which  stated,  that  the  church  which  was  gath- 
ered theiti  two  years  before,  at  that  ti-.ne  consisted  of  thirty-two  members. 
This  letter  was  sighed  by  twelve  brethren,  by  the  names  of  Parr ers,  Cope- 
lands,  Brinkleys,  Parke,  Darker,  Welch,  Evans,  and  Jordan.  Here  were 
three  Parkers,  two  by  the  name  of  John,  and  one  of  Joseph,  who  was  probably 
the  man  above  referred  to. 

VOL.   2.  13 


98  Churches  careless  in  receiving  Members. 

and  some  other  preachers,  who  were  raised  up  in  the 
parts,  so  many  were  brought  to  embrace  their  sentiments, 
that  they,  by  about  the  year  1752,  had  increased  to  16 
churches.  These  churches  had  an  annual  interview,  or 
yearly  meeting,  in  which  they  inspected  and  regulated 
the  general  concerns  of  their  community.  These  people 
were  all  General  Baptists,  and  those  of  them  who  emigra- 
ted from  England,  came  out  from  that  community  there. 
And  although  some  of  their  ministers  were  evangelical 
and  pure,  and  the  members  regular  and  devout ;  yet, 
on  the  whole,  it  appears  to  have  been  the  most  negligent 
and  the  least  spiritual  community  of  Baptists,  which  has 
arisen  on  the  American  continent.  For  so  careless  and 
indefinite  were  they  in  their  requisitions,  that  many  of 
their  communicants  were  baptized  and  admitted  into 
their  churches ;  and  even  some  of  their  ministers  were 
introduced  into  their  sacred  functions,  without  an  expe- 
rimental acquaintance  with  the  gospel,  or  without  being 
required  to  possess  it.  It  does  not  appear  that  they  ex- 
tended the  bounds  of  their  communion  to  any  but  those 
of  their  own  order  ;  but  so  loose  and  indefinite  were  their 
terms  in  other  respects,  that  all,  who  professed  a  general 
belief  in  the  truths  of  the  gospel,  submitted  to  baptism, 
and  religiously  demeaned  themselves,  were  admitted  to  it. 

In  this  situation,  this  cluster  of  churches  continued, 
until  more  orthodox  principles  were  introduced,  and  a 
spirit  of  reformation  began  to  prevail,  w^hich  finally  leav- 
ened nearly  the  whole  body,  and  transformed  it  into  an 
Association  of  Calvinistick,  or  as  they  were  then  called. 
Regular  Baptists. 

The  faults  and  errors  of  this  people  were  probably  ex- 
aggerated by  some  of  their  zealous  reformers ;  but  view- 
ing matters  in  their  most  favourable  light,  and  admit  i  ing 
as  many  of  their  preachers  and  brethren  as  we  can, to  have 
been  worthy  of  their  functions  and  professions ;  yet  they, 
as  a  body,  were  deeply  involved  in  error,  and  needed 
much  the  renovation  which  we  are  about  to  de-cribe. 

The  introduction  of  Calvinistick  sentiments  amongst 
them,  which  had  the  happy  effect  of  purifying  the  church- 
es, took  place  about  the  year  1751,  and  was  caused  part- 
ly by  the  preaching  of  Robert  Williams  of  the  Welch- 
neck,  in  South-Carolina ;  partly  by  the  conversation  of  a 


Gano,  Miller  and  Vanhorn  'visit  them.  99 

layman,*  commonly  called  the  Sley-maker,  whose  name 
was  William  Wallis  ;  but  chiefly  by  the  labours  of  John 
Gano,  who  visited  them  in  the  summer  of  1754,  and 
of  Benjamin  Miller  and  Peter  P.  Vanhorn,  who  went 
amongst  them  some  time  in  the  year  after.  Mr.  Gano 
was  sent  out  by  the  Philadelphia  Association,  ivith  gene- 
ral and  indefinite  instructions,  to  travel  in  the  southern 
States,  &c.  He,  on  his  return,  represented  the  melan- 
cholly  condition  of  this  people  to  the  Association,  who 
appointed  Messrs.  Miller  and  Vanhorn  tor  the  special 
purpose  of  instructing  and  reforming  them.  Mr.  Gano 
appears  to  have  shaken  the  old  foundation,  and  begun  the 
preparation  of  the  materials  which  Messrs.  Miller  and 
Vanhorn  organized  into  regular  churches.  His  visit  is 
thus  described  by  Mr.  Edwards :  "  On  his  arrival,  he  sent 
to  the  ministers,  requesting  an  interview  with  them, 
which  they  declined,  and  appointed  a  meeting  among 
themselves,  to  consult  what  to  do.  Mr.  Gano,  hearing  of 
it,  went  to  their  meeting,  and  addressed  them  in  words 
to  this  effect,  '*  I  have  desired  a  visit  from  you,  which, 
as  a  brother  and  a  stranger,  I  had  a  right  to  expect ; 
but  as  ye  have  refused,  I  give  up  my  claim,  and  am  come 
to  pay  you  a  visit."  With  that,  he  ascended  into  the  pul- 
pit, and  read  for  his  text  the  following  words,  "  Jesus  I 
know,  and  Paul  I  know  ;  but  who  are  ye  ?"  This  text  he 
managed  in  such  a  manner  as  to  make  some  afraid  of 
him,  and  others  ashamed  of  their  shyness.  Many  were 
convinced  of  errors,  touching  faith  and  conversion,  and 
submitted  to  examination.  One  minister  hearing  this, 
(who  stood  well  with  himself)  went  to  be  examined,  and 
intimated  to  his  people,  he  should  return  triumphant. 
Mr.  Gano  heard  him  out,  and  then  turned  to  his  com- 
panion and  said,  "  I  profess,  brother,  this  will  not  do  : 
this  man  has  yet  the  needful  to  seek."  Upon  which,  the 
person  examined  hastened  home,  and  upon  being  asked, 
how  he  came  off?  replied,  "The  Lord  have  mercy  upon 
you,  for  this  northern  minister  put  a  mene  tekel  upon  me  \" 
By  the  labours  of  Mr.  Gano,  and  also  of  Messrs.  Miller 
and  Vanhorn,  a  great  work  was  effected  among  this  peo- 

*  I  find  the  term  layman  used  by  Messrs.  Edwards  and  Sernple,  and  havo 
therefore  inserted  it ;  but  must  confess,  I  have  no  fellowship  with  fr,  when  cspd 
in  its  okJ  discriminating  sense. 


10O  Kehukee  Association  formed. 

pie,  which  consisted  not  merely  in  the  important  business 
of  reforming  their  creed  and  purifying  their  churches, 
but  also  in  reviving  the  power  of  godliness  amongst 
the  erroneous  and  lukewarm  professors,  and  in  the 
conviction  and  conversion  of  many  others.  And  what 
was  left  unfinished  by  them,  was  undertaken  and  carried 
on,  with  a  very  laudable  zeal,  by  the  ministers  among 
themselves,  some  of  whom  were  converted  by  their 
means,  and  most  of  whom  caught,  in  a  good  degree,  their 
spirit,  and  imitated  their  examples.  Insomuch,  that  be- 
fore the  year  1 765,  all  the  ministers,  (and  they  were  now 
considerably  numerous)  except  the  two  Parkers,  Joseph 
and  William,  and  a  Mr.  Winfield,  and  all  the  churches, 
excepting  those  under  their  care,  which  were  not  more 
than  two  or  three,  had  embraced  the  principles  of  the 
reformation.  The  reformed  churches  having  thus  pre- 
pared the  way,  in  the  year  1765,  by  a  previous  appoint- 
ment, convened  at  Kehukee,  and  organized  themselves 
into  an  associated  body,  to  which  they  gave  the  name  of 
the  Kehukee  Association  ;  which,  as  soon  as  it  was  form- 
ed,was  admitted  to  the  fellowship  and  correspondence  of 
the  Charleston  Association,  with  which  some  of  the  con- 
stituent churches  had  united  after  their  renovation. 
Jonathan  Thomas,  John  Thomas,  John  Moore,  John  Bur- 
gess, William  Burgess,  Charles  Daniel,  William  Walker, 
John  Meglamre,  James  Abbington,  Thomas  Pope,  and 
Henry  .-ibbot,  were  the  principal,  if  not  all  the  ministers 
belonging  to  this  Association  at  the  time  of  its  consti- 


tution. 


v/ 


About  this  time,  the  Separate  Baptists  had  become 
very  numerous,  and  were  rapidly  increasing  in  the  up- 
per regions  of  North- Carolina,  and  the  adjoining  parts 
of  Virginia,  where  they  had  established  a  flourishing 
Association,  which  was  called  Sand-creek.  The  min- 
isters of  both  these  bodies,  in  their  evangelical  excur- 
sion^, were  brought  to  frequent  interviews  with  each 
other ;  and,  although  they  differed  in  some  little  matters, 
yet  they  united  their  zealous  labours  in  the  common 
cause  of  their  Master,  and  an  increasing  fellowship  for 
each  other  produced  an  increasing  desire  to  be  more 
closely  united.  The  Kehukee  Association  made  the  first 
advances  towards  the  union,  and,  in  1772,  sent  two  of 


Difficulties  between  the  Separate  and  Regular  Baptists.    101 

their  elders,  viz.  Meglamre  and  Thomas,  as  deputies  to 
the  Separate  Association,  for  the  purpose  of  making 
overtures  to  effect  it.  The  deputies  were  kindly  receiv- 
ed ;  they  delivered  their  message,  the  object  of  which 
was  briefly  discussed.  The  Separate  Association,  in  re- 
turn, deputed  two  of  their  ministers,  viz,  Elijah  Craig 
and  David  Thompson,  to  wait  on  the  Kehukee  Associ- 
ation, respecting  the  union  which  they  had  proposed. 
The  embarrassments  attending  the  union  seem  to  have 
lain  mostly  with  the  Separates,  who  stated  the  following 
objections  against  their  brethren  of  the  Regular  order  : 
1st.  That  they  were  not  sufficiently  strict  in  receiving 
church  members.  2d.  That  they  were  too  superflu- 
ous in  dress.  And,  3d.  That  their  principles  and  prac- 
tices were  at  variance  ;  for  although  they  believed  that 
faith  in  Christ  Jesus  was  essential  to  baptism,  yet  they 
retained  many  members  in  their  churches,  who,  although 
they  had  then  experienced  converting  grace,  yet  ac- 
knowledged themselves  to  have  been  baptized  in  a  state 
of  unbelief,  by  the  careless  Arminian  preachers. 

This  last  objection  was  declared  to  be  the  main  bar  to 
a  complete  union  ;  and  it  was  the  more  effectual,  as  it 
had  been  a  matter  of  considerable  embarrassment  to  a 
great  number  of  the  Kehukee  ministers,  who  had  many 
thoughts  of  attempting  a  reformation.  This  occurrence 
furnished  them  with  a  more  favourable  plea  to  make 
a  beginning,  which  was  accordingly  done  in  the  year 
1774-.  At  which  time  the  Bertie  church,  under  the  pas- 
toral care  of  Rev.  Lemuel  Burkitt,  held  a  conference  on 
the  subject,  in  which  they  publickly  proclaimed,  that  they 
would  commune  with  none,  who  confessed  they  were  bap- 
tized before  conversion  ;  alleging,  that  adult  persons  had 
no  better  claim  to  baptism,  while  they  were  in  a  state  of 
impenitence  and  unbelief,  than  infants  had.  JVIr.  Burkitt's 
church  was  followed  by  several  others.  But  when  the 
next  Association  met,  which  was  in  1775,  the  Reformers 
met  with  severe  opposition.  The  correctness  of  their 
proceedings  was  much  questioned,  and  much  dissension 
arose.  One  party  was  blamed  for  doing  too  much  ;  and 
the  other  for  not  doing  enough.  As  they  could  not 
agree,  both  parties  claimed  the  right  of  being  called  the 
Association.  The  Reformers,  because  what  they  had 


102  The  Association  divides. 

done,  was  exactly  congenial  to  the  original  plan  upon 
which  the  Association  was  organized.  The  other  party, 
being  most  numerous,  insisted  that  a  majority  ought  to 
retain  the  power,  and  consequently  the  name  of  the 
Association.  They  moreover  argued,  that,  whatever 
might  be  their  principles,  it  was  well  known  at  the  time 
of  the  constitution  of  the  Association,  that  this  evil  ex- 
isted in  greater  force  than  it  did  at  that  time  ;  seeing 
none  had  been  baptized  in  known  unbelief,  since  the 
constitution  ;  that,  therefore,  it  was  virtually  agreed, 
that  such  as  were  then  in  orderly  standing  might  retain 
their  membership,  le.->t  more  mischief  should  ensue  by 
being  too  rigorous,  than  by  submitting  to  small  incon- 
veniences for  the  sake  of  peace;  that  the  Association 
having  been  in  existence  for  eight  or  nine  years,  all  of 
which  time  they  had  s-ufFered  the  inconvenience,  it  was 
now  rather  .strange,  that  they  at  this  late  period  should 
attempt  a  revolution  so  likely  to  disturb  the  peace  and 
harmony  of  the  churches.  To  all  these  arguments  it 
was  answered,  that  to  them  it  was  a  matter  of  conscience, 
which  they  could  not  relinquish  without  wounding  their 
own  souls.  As  neither  side  would  give  way,  things 
came  to  extremities.  Each  party  organized  a  distinct 
Association.  The  Reformers  kept  possession  of  the 
meeting-house,  whilst  the  opposite  party  retired,  first 
to  the  woods,  and  on  the  second  day  procured  a  private 
house  in  the  neighbourhood.  All  attempts  at  reconcil- 
iation proved  ineffectual  during  this  session.  Each  party 
transacted  their  own  business,  of  which,  however,  very 
little  was  done.  These  party  broils  were  exceedingly  af- 
flicting to  the  pious  on  both  sides.  It  would  appear 
from  the  arguments  on  the  old  side,  that  many  of  them 
did  not  deny  the  principles  of  this  reformation,  so  much 
as  the  necessity,  seeing  it  would  unavoidably  produce 
much  confusion,  and  if  let  alone,  the  evil  would  of  it- 
self,  in  time,  vanish.  Those  who  had  undertaken  to  ef- 
fect the  reformation,  persevered,  arid  finally  accomplish- 
ed their  wishes.* 

In  August,  1777,  they  held  their  first  undisputed  As- 
sociation, at  elder  Bell's  meeting-house,  in  Sussex  coun* 

*  The  Regular  Asscvhtion  dwimik-d,  arcl  finally  came  to  nothing;  partly 
by  falling  in  with  the  Separates,  and  partly  by  other  causes. 


Portsmouth  Association  formed.  103 

ty,  Virginia.     They  found,  on  assembling,  that  their 
strength  had  very  much  increased.     Ten  churches  had 
sent  letters  and  delegates,  of  which  it  appeared  that 
six  were  Regulars,  or  the  old  side,  and  four  were  Sepa- 
rates ;   who,  finding  their  former  obstacles  removing, 
and  it  being  convenient,  were  incorporated  with  this  As- 
sociation.    Of  these  ten  churches,  four  were  in  Virgin- 
ia, and  six  in  North-Carolina.     The  whole  number  of 
members  was  one  thousand  five  hundred  and  ninety. 
They  agreed  now  upon  an  abstract  of  principles,  which 
was  afterwards  printed  and  published.     In  doctrine  and 
discipline  it  did  not  substantially  differ  from  the  confes- 
sion of  faith  generally   received  among  the    baptists. 
They  agreed  to  hold  two  Associations  annually,  and  ap- 
pointed the  next  atBurkitt's  meeting-hou.se,the  next  May. 
The  Kehukee  Association  continued  to  meet  regular- 
ly, and  to  increase  rapidly,  until  the  year   179O.     At 
their  October  session  for  that  year,  it  was  found  that 
there  were  no  less  than  sixty-one  churches,  having  more 
than  five  thousand   members.     Several   ineffectual  at- 
tempts, previous  to  this,  had  been  made  to  divide  it, 
and  the  number  of  churches  was  now  so  large*  that  a 
division  was  almost  indispensable.     They  accordingly 
agreed  to  divide  by  the  State  line,  leaving  forty-two 
churches  in  North-Carolina,  and  nineteen  in   Virginia. 
The  Virginia  churches  met  by  their  delegates  for  the 
first  time,  May   1791,  at  Portsmouth  ;  and  on  that  ac- 
count their  body  took  the  name  of  the  Virginia  Ports- 
mouth Association.     Their  time  of  meeting  has  been, 
from  the  first,  on  the  fourth  Saturday  of  May,  annually. 
Their  business  has  been  transacted  in  peace  and  pru- 
dence.    The  number   of  churches  has   increased,  but 
not  so  rapidly  as  in  other  Associations.     While  elder 
Meglamre  lived,  and  attended  the  Associations,  he  gen- 
erally acted  as  moderator.     After  his  death,  or  when  he 
was  absent,  the  duties  of  moderator  most  commonly  de- 
volved upon  Rev.  David  Barrow,  until  his  removal  to 
Kentucky.* 

Only  four  years  from  the  time  that  the  Portsmouth 
Association  was  taken  off,  viz.  in  the  year   1794,  this 

*  This  account  of  the  Kehukee  Association  has  been  taken  almost  verba- 
tim from  Semple's  History  of  the  Virginia  Baptists 


1(M>  Neuse  Association  formed* 

mother  body  had  again  become  so  extensive,  that  anoth- 
er division  was  thought  expedient,  and  was  accordingly 
amicably  effected  ;  and  Tar-river  was  fixed  on  as  the  di- 
viding line.  All  the  churches  above  this  river,  and  be- 
tween it  and  the  State  of  Virginia,  remained  with  the 
old  establishment,  while  those  to  the  south  of  it  were 
dismibsed  to  form  the  Neuse  Association. 

The  Kehukee  Association,  by  this  last  division,  was 
reduced  to  twenty-six  churches ;  from  this  time  it  trav- 
elled on,  without  any  special  occurrence,  until  about 
1801,  when  it  began  to  enjoy  a  refreshing  season,  and 
for  a  few  years  following,  was  blessed  with  a  share  in 
that  remarkable  revival,  which  prevailed  most  power- 
fully and  extensively  through  North-Carolina  and  many 
other  States  ;  so  that  in  the  course  of  two  years  from 
the  commencement  of  the  revival,  there  were  150O  per- 
sons baptized  in  the  churches  belonging  to  this  Associa- 
tion. 

NEUSE  ASSOCIATION. 

IT  has  already  been  related,  that  this  body  originated 
by  a  division  of  the  Kehukee  Association,  in  1794.  It 
contained,  at  the  time  of  its  organization,  23  churches, 
which  were  situated  on  both  sides  of  the  Neuse-river, 
from  which  circumstance  it  received  its  name  ;  and 
they  extended  from  Tar-river  nearly  to  the  southern 
boundary  of  North-Carolina.  This  Association  com- 
prized a  number  of  the  oldest  churches  in  the  country, 
and  particularly  the  Tosniot  church,  in  Edgecombe  coun- 
ty, which  was  gathered  by  the  General  baptists,  in  the 
early  part  of  their  settlement  in  the  country  ;  but  it  was 
reformed  and  constituted  on  the  Calvinistick  plan  in 
1758,  at  which  time  it  contained  three  very  worthy 
preachers,  viz.  John  Thomas,  and  his  two  sons  Jona- 
than and  John.  Jonathan  is  said  to  have  been  a  man  of 
considerable  eminence  in  his  day.  This  community 
was  much  refreshed  and  enlarged  by  that  glorious  revi- 
val which  prevailed  in  the  Kehukee  Association. 

CAPE  FEAR  ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  Association  is  situated  towards  the  southeast  cor- 
ner of  the  State.  It  took  its  name  from  the  river  on 


Raleigh.  Chowan,  and  Flat-River  Associations.        105 

whose  eastern  branch  the  town  of  Wilmington  is  situa- 
ted. It  was  formed  in  1805,  of  churches  which  were 
dismissed  from  the  Neuse  Association. 

RAJLEIOH  ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  body  takes  its  name  from  the  town  which  is  now 
the  seat  of  government,  near  to  which  the  churches  are 
situated.  It  was  formed  in  1 805  of  only  four  churches* 
which  were  dismissed  from  the  Neuse  Association.  It 
has  been  a  flourishing  little  body,  and  in  181*  had  in- 
creased to  ten  churches  and  almost  a  thousand  members. 
There  has  lately  been  a  very  happy  revival  within  the 
bounds  of  this  Association.  In  1812,  Elder  Robert  T. 
Daniel,  one  of  their  ministers,  wrote  me,  that  upwards 
of  a  hundred  members  had  been  added  by  baptism  to 
the  church  which  he  serves,  in  a  little  more  than  a  year. 


THIS  Association  receives  its  name  from  a  river  which 
rises  in  Virginia  and  empties  into  the  Albemarle  sound. 
It  is  situated  on  the  northern  borders  of  the  state  and 
near  its  northeast  corner.  It  began  in  1 806,  when  eigh* 
teen  churches,  containing  upwards  of  eighteen  hundred 
members,  were  dismissed  from  the  Kehukee  Association, 
for  the  purpose  of  forming  it.  These  churches  were  all 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Roanoke-river.  Several  hun- 
dreds have  been  added  to  the  Chowan  Association  since 
it  was  formed,  and  yet  it  is  not  now  so  large  as  it  was  at 
first.  The  reason  is,  that  multitudes  from  this  region 
have  emigrated  to  the  western  and  more  southern  States. 

FLAT-RIVER  ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  body  was  formed  by  a  division  of  the  Roanoke 
Association,  in  Virginia,  in  1794.  As  a  number  of 
churches  in  that  Association  were  situated  in  North- 
Carolina,  they  were  all,  by  their  request,  dismissed  at 
the  time  above  mentioned,  for  the  purpose  of  forming 
the  one  whose  history  we  are  now  relating.  I  have  not 

VOL.  2.  14 


1O6         County-Line  and  Sandy-Creek  Associations. 

been  able  exactly  to  ascertain  of  how  many  churches  it 
was  at  first  composed,  but  the  number  was  probably  ten 
or  twelve  ;  nor  have  I  learnt  any  thing  of  its  proceedings, 
until  the  year  1806,  when  it  was  divided  by  a  line  run- 
ning north  and  south,  and  the  western  division  of 
churches  united  in  forming  the 

CoUNTRY-LlNE   ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  body  took  its  name  from  a  creek  on  which  the 
churches  are  situated,  which  runs  in  a  northern  direc- 
tion, and  empties  into  Dan-river,  near  the  line  between 
the  two  States  of  Virginia  and  North-Carolina. 

These  two  small  Associations  lie  on  the  northern  side 
of  North-Carolina,  and  the  churches  in  the  Country. 
Line  are  in  the  counties  of  Rockingham,  Caswell,  Per- 
son, and  Orange. 

The  churches  in  these  Associations  originated  from  the 
Separate  Baptists,  and  some  of  the  oldest  of  them  were 
gathered  by  Samuel  Harris,  James  Read,  Thomas  Mul- 
8ns,  and  Dutton  Lane. 

SANDY-CREEK  ASSOCIATION. 

AN  account  of  the  origin  and  progress  of  the  Sandy- 
Creek  church  and  Association,  and  of  the  Baptist  cause 
in  this  part  of  North-Carolina,  up  to  the  year  177O,  has 
already  been  given  in  the  general  history  of  the  Sepa- 
rate Baptists,  under  the  Virginia  head 

Shubael  Stearns  died  at  Sandy-Creek,  in  1771,  in  the 
66th  year  of  his  age.  The  Sandy-Creek  Association, 
notwithstanding  the  embarrassments  in  which  it  had  in- 
volved itself,  by  interfering  too  much  in  the  concerns 
of  the  churches,  still  continued  to  hold  its  usual  anni- 
versary sessions, 

In  1772,  after  its  division,  which  is  related  in  the  gen- 
eral history  of  the  Separates,  it  contained  the  nine  fol- 
lowing churches,  viz.  Sandy-Creek,  Little-River,  Shal- 
low Fords,  Slow-River,  New- River,  Southwest,  Grassy- 
Creek,  Trent,  and  Lockwood's  Folly.  To  these  church- 
es appertained  ten  branches,  most  of  which  were,  in 
process  of  time,  organized  into  district  churches.  The 


Nine  Christian  Rites.  1O7 

number  of  ministers  at  this  time  was  twenty,  only  seven 
of  whom  were  ordained.  This  Association  held  many 
sentiments  formerly,  and  it  also  holds  some  now,  which 
are  of  a  peculiar  nature,  and  which  do  not  prevail  among 
their  brethren  elsewhere.  Many  of  its  members  were 
formerly  thought  to  lean  considerably  towards  the  Ar- 
minian  system  ;  but  they  have  now  become  generally, 
and  some  of  them  strenuously  Calvinistick.  They  now 
hold  that  ministers  ought  not  to  be  ordained  until  they 
are  called  to  exercise  the  pastoral  office.  The  practice 
of  ordaining  them  as  Evangelists,  which  by  the  Baptists 
js  generally  adopted,  they  reject.  1  hey  formerly  held 
nine  Christian  rites,  viz.  baptism,  the  Lord's  supper,  love- 
fcasts,  laying-on-of -hands,  'washing  feet,  anointing  the  sick, 
right  hand  of  fellowship,  kiss  of  chanty,  and  devoting  children. 
They  also  held  to  ruling  elders,  eldresses,  deaconesses, 
and  weekly  communion. 

The  nature  and  design  of  all  the  above  enumerated 
rites  and  offices  will  be  easily  comprehended,  except  that 
of  devoting  children.  This  rite  they  founded  on  the  cir- 
cumstance of  parents  bringing  little  children  to  Christ, 
&c.  It  was  thus  performed  :  As  soon  as  circumstances 
would  permit,  after  the  birth  of  the  child,  the  mother 
carried  it  to  meeting,  when  the  minister  either  took  it 
in  his  arms,  or  laid  his  hands  on  it,  thanked  God  for  his 
mercy,  and  invoked  a  blessing  on  the  child,  at  which 
time  it  received  its  name.  This  rite,  which  was  by  many 
satirically  called  a  dry  christening,*  prevailed  not  only  in 
the  Sandy-Creek  Association,  but  in  many  parts  of  Vir- 
ginia. 

It  must  not  be  understood,  that  all  the  churches  in 
(his  body  were  strenuous,  or  even  uniform,  in  the  ob- 
servance of  this  long  list  of  rites,  all  of  which,  however, 
appear  to  be  suggested  by  the  Scriptures ;  nor  did  those 
who  maintained  the  whole  of  them,  refuse  communion 
with  their  brethren,  who  neglected  a  part  -,  and  this  in, 
difference  in  some  has  been  succeeded  by  a  general  neg- 
lect in  all,  so  that  the  greatest  part  of  the  nine  Christian 
rites,  and  especially  those  of  them  which  were  of  a  pe- 
culiar nature,  together  with  the  offices  of  eldresses  ancl 

*  Virginia  Chronicle,  p.  4?. 


208  Revival  amongst  the  Baptists  and  others. 

deaconesses  have  fallen  into  disuse.  But  the  ordi- 
nance, as  they  esteem  it,  of  laying-on-of-hands,  and  the 
office  of  ruling  elders  they  still  maintain. 

This  Association  has  also  altered  its  mode  as  to  the 
frequency  of  administering  the  Lord's  Supper,  and  has 
adopted  that  which  is  generally  pursued  by  other  breth- 
ren elsewhere. 

It  will  be  recollected,  that  when  the  great  body  of  the 
Separate  Baptists  was  divided,  in  the  year  177O,  that  the 
Sandy- Creek  Association  became  one  of  the  three  grand 
divisions ;  but  it  has  not  prospered  so  largely,  nor 
branched  out  so  extensively,  as  the  other  two.  The 
only  Association  which  has  been  formed  from  it,  and 
that  but  in  part,  was  the  Holston,  in  the  State  of  Ten- 
nessee. But  it  has  been  the  nursery  of  many  worthy 
ministers  and  brethren,  who  have  emigrated  to  the 
western  country  and  more  southern  States ;  and  al- 
though it  has,  at  times,  been  reduced  almost  to  the  low- 
est ebb  of  religious  enjoyment,  yet  it  has,  at  other  times, 
been  blessed  with  the  outpourings  of  the  Divine  Spirit, 
and  the  joyful  enlargement  of  its  borders.  Two  very 
comfortable  and  extensive  revivals  had  been  experienced 
in  this  Association,  since  the  death  of  Mr.  Stearns,  before 
the  one  about  to  be  mentioned.  But  by  deaths  and  re- 
movals it  was,  at  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century,  in 
every  respect  much  reduced.  The  ministers  had  become 
few  in  number,  and  the  churches  small  and  languid  ; 
iniquity  greatly  abounded  in  the  land,  and  the  love  of 
xnany  had  waxen  cold.  But  towards  the  close  of  the 
year  1 SOO,  that  astonishing  work  which  had  been  pre- 
vailing a  short  time  in  Kentucky  and  other  parts,  made 
a  sudden  and  unexpected  entrance  amongst  them,  and 
was  attended  with  most  of  the  new  and  unusual  appear- 
ances, which  in  many  places  it  assumed.  This  work 
was  not  confined  to  the  Baptists,  but  prevailed,  at  the 
same  time,  amongst  the  Methodists  and  Presbyterians, 
both  of  which  denominations  were  considerably  nume- 
rous in  the  parts.  These  two  last  denominations,  soon 
after  the  commencement  of  the  revival,  united  in  their 
communion  and  camp-meetings.  The  Baptists  were 
strongly  solicited  to  embark  in  the  general  communion 
scheme  5  but  they,  pursuant  to  their  consistent  (many 


Camp-Meetings  instituted.  109 

call  them  rigid)  principles,  declined  a  compliance.  But 
they  had  camp  or  field-meetings  amongst  themselves, 
and  many  individuals  of  them  united  with  the  Method- 
ists and  Presbyterians  in  theirs.  The  Baptists  estab- 
lished camp-meetings  from  motives  of  convenience  and 
necessity,  and  relinquished  them  as  soon  as  they  were 
no  longer  needful.  Their  meeting-houses  are  generally 
small,  and  surrounded  with  groves  of  wood,  which  they 
carefully  preserve,  for  the  advantage  of  the  cooling 
shade,  which  they  afford  in  the  heat  of  summer.  In 
these  groves  the  stages  were  erected,  around  which  the 
numerous  congregation  encamped ;  and  wh^en  they  could 
be  accommodated  in  the  meeting-houses,  to  them  they 
repaired.  A  circumstance  which  led  the  people  to  come 
prepared  to  encamp  on  the  ground  was,  that  those  who 
lived  adjacent  to  the  place  of  meeting,  although  willing 
to  provide  for  the  refreshment,  as  far  as  they  were  able, 
of  the  numerous  congregations  which  assembled  ;  yet,  in 
most  cases,  they  would  have  found  it  impracticable  j 
and  furthermore,  they  wished  to  be  at  the  meetings 
themselves,  what  time  they  must  have  stayed  at  home 
for  the  purpose.  The  people,  therefore,  would  be  ad- 
vised by  their  ministers  and  others,  at  the  first  camp- 
rneetings,  to  come  to  the  next  and  all  succeeding  ones, 
prepared  to  accommodate  and  refresh  themselves.  In 
this  way,  camp-meetings  were  instituted  amongst  the 
Baptists. 

In  nearly  the  same  way,  meetings  of  a  similar  nature 
were  established  by  the  united  body  of  Methodists  and 
Presbyterians  in  these  parts  j  but  like  many  other  things 
produced  on  extraordinary  occasions,  they  continued  af- 
ter the  call  for  them  had  ceased.  Their  efficacy  was  by 
many  too  highly  estimated.  They  had  witnessed  at 
them,  besides  much  confusion  and  disorder,  many  evi- 
dent and  remarkable  displays  of  divine  power;  and  their 
ardour  in  promoting  them,  after  the  zeal  which  insti- 
tuted them  had  abated,  indicated  that  they  considered 
them  the  most  probable  means  of  effecting  a  revival. 
From  these  motives  (I  am  induced  to  think)  camp-meet- 
ings have  been,  and  are  still,  industriously  kept  up  by 
the  Methodists  throughout  the  United  States.  It  is  well 
known  that  they  take  much  pains,  by  giving  lengthy 


1 1O  Remarkable  Appearances  in  the  Revival. 

notice  of  their  approach,  by  advertising  them  in  news 
papers,  &c.  to  collect  as  large  an  assemblage  of  people  as 
possible,  and  then,  by  preconcerted  and  artful  manoeu- 
vres, and  by  a  mechanical  play  upon  the  passions,  to  pro- 
duce that  animation  and  zeal,  which,  at  the  times  above- 
mentioned,  were  spontaneous  and  unaffected. 

In  the  progress  of  the  revival  among  the  Baptists,  and, 
especially,  at  their  camp-meetings,  there  were  exhibited 
scenes  of  the  most  solemn  and  affecting  nature ;  and  in 
many  instances  there  was  heard  at  the  same  time, 
throughout  the  vast  congregation,  a  mingled  sound  of 
prayer,  exhortation,  groans,  and  praise.  The  fantastick 
exercise  of  jerking,  dancing,  &c.  in  a  religious  way,  pre- 
vailed much  with  the  united  body  of  Methodists  and 
Presbyterians,  towards  the  close  of  the  revival ;  but  they 
were  not  introduced  at  all  among  the  Baptists  in  these 
parts.  But  falling  down  under  religious  impressions  was 
frequent  among  them.  Many  were  taken  with  these 
religious  epilepsies,  if  we  may  so  call  them,  not  only  at 
the  great  meetings,  where  those  scenes  were  exhibited, 
which  were  calculated  to  move  the  sympathetick  affec- 
tions ;  but  also  about  their  daily  employments,  some  in 
the  fields,  some  in  their  houses,  and  some  when  hunting 
their  cattle  in  the  woods.  And  in  some  'cases,  people 
were  thus  strangely  affected  when  alone  ;  so  that  if  some 
played  the  hypocrite,  with  others  the  exercise  must  have 
been  involuntary  and  unaffected.  And  besides  falling 
down,  there  were  many  other  expressions  of  zeal,  which 
in  more  moderate  people  would  be  considered  enthusi- 
astick  and  wild. 

The  above  relation  was  given  me  by  Rev.  George 
Pope,  the  pastor  of  the  church  at  Abbot's  Creek,  who  is 
3.  man  of  sense  and  moderation,  and  who,  with  many  of 
his  brethren,  was  much  tried  in  his  mind,  and  stood 
aloof  from  the  work  at  its  commencement ;  but  it  spread 
so  rapidly  and  powerfully,  that  they  soon  discovered 
such  evident  marks  of  its  being  a  genuine  work  of  grace5 
notwithstanding  its  new  and  unusual  appearances,  that 
their  doubts  subsided,  and  they  cordially  and  zealously 
engaged  in  forwarding  and  promoting  it.  Mr.  Pope,  in 
the  course  of  the  revival,  baptized  about  500  persons. 
Large  numbers  were  also  baptised  by  John  Culpepper^ 


Tadkin  Association.  Ill 

William  M'Gregore,  and  many  others.  But  as  the 
Minutes  of  the  Association  were  not  printed  at  this  time, 
the  total  number  of  members  cannot  be  now  ascertained, 
yet  it  must  have  been  very  large.  But  a  spirit  of  emi- 
gration has  since  much  possessed  the  Baptists  in  these 
parts,  so  that  the  Association  is  now  reduced  to  the  num- 
ber of  members,  which  is  stated  in  the  table. 

YADKIN  ASSOCIATION. 

THE  Yadkin-river  rises  in  the  Alleghany  mountains, 
a"nd  unites  with  the  Rocky-river,  in  Anson  county, 
North-Carolina,  and  from  their  junction  the  stream  as- 
sumes the  name  of  the  Great  Pedee. 

The  Yadkin  Association  received  its  name  from  that 
of  the  river  above  mentioned,  and  lies  to  the  westward 
of  the  Sandy-Creek,  and  originated  in  the  following  man- 
ner. In  the  year  1786,  eleven  churches,  which  had  been 
previously  gathered  about  the  head  of  the  Yadkin  and 
its  waters,  began  to  hold  yearly  conferences,  as  a  branch 
of  the  Strawberry  Association  in  Virginia.  The  proceed- 
ings of  this  conference  were  annually  submitted  to  the 
Association  to  which  it  had  attached  itself,  for  their 
inspection,  and  were  borne  thither  by  delegates  appoint- 
ed for  the  purpose.  But  in  1 79O,  the  churches,  com- 
posing this  conference,  were,  upon  their  request,  dismiss- 
ed, and  formed  a  distinct  Association.  The  ministers 
belonging  to  this  body  at  its  commencement,  were 
George  M'Neal,  John  Cleaveland,  William  Petty,  Wil- 
liam Hammond,  Cleaveland  Caffee,  Andrew  Baker,  and 
John  Stone.  This  Association,  like  Sandy-Creek,  trans- 
acted its  business,  or  at  least,  held  its  sessions,  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  without  a  moderator.  Some  of  their  scru- 
pulous brethren,  it  seems,  were  opposed  to  order,  or  for- 
mality, as  they  esteemed  it,  in  their  religious  proceedings, 
and  pleaded  that  it  was  an  infringement  of  Christian  lib- 
erty, and  too  much  like  worldly  assemblies,  to  have  a 
moderator  at  their  head,  whom  they  must  address  when 
they  spoke,  and  whose  liberty  they  must  request,  &c. 
In  17<J3,  Mr.  John  Gano,  who  then  lived  in  Kentucky, 
visited  this  Association,  and  found  many  difficulties 
among  them  on  account  of  these  things.  But  he  knew 


112    Joseph  and  William  Murphy,  distinguished  Preachers. 

very  well  how  to  manage  prejudices  so  whimsical  and 
absurd,  and  prevailed  on  them  to  choose  a  moderator  and 
establish  rules,  by  which  their  business  was  afterwards 
conducted  with  much  decorum.* 

The  church  in  the  Jersey  settlements  in  Rowan  coun- 
ty is  the  oldest  in  the  Yadkin  Association,  and  was 
gathered  by  Mr.  Gano  in  1 7-58,  three  years  after  the 
Sandy-Creek  church  was  established.  Mr.  Gano  resided 
there  about  two  years,  when  the  church  was  broken 
up  by  the  incursions  of  the  Indians,  and  he  returned  to 
New- Jersey,  from  whence  he  had  removed  hither.  But 
the  church  was  re-gathered  after  the  Indian  war  was 
over. 

Dr.  Richard  Furman,  now  of  Charleston,  South- 
Carolina,  resided  and  preached  in  the  bounds  of  this 
Association,  during  a  part  of  the  revolutionary  war. 

Joseph  Murphy,  the  pastor  of  the  church  on  Deep 
Creek,  in  the  county  of  Surry,  has  been,  in  most  respects, 
the  most  distinguished  minister  among  the  churches  in 
this  body.  He  and  William  Murphy,  whose  name  fre- 
quently occurs  in  the  history  of  the  Virginia  Baptists, 
were  brothers.  They  were  both  baptized  by  Shubael 
Stearns,  and  began  to  preach  while  very  young,  and  were 
called,  by  way  of  derision,  Murphy1  s  beys.  William,  who 
had  the  most  conspicuous  talents,  removed  to  Tennessee 
about  17SO,  and  was  one  of  the  most  active  ministers  in 
the  Holston  Association,  which  he  assisted  in  raising  up, 
and  in  which  he  was  very  useful  and  much  esteemed  un- 
til his  death,  the  exact  time  of  which  is  not  known,  but 
it  is  believed  to  have  been  about  180O. 

Joseph  was  altogether  illiterate  when  he  became  relig- 
ious, for  he  then  knew  not  how  to  read,  and  had  never 
learned  to  write.  But  being  possessed  of  a  strong  mind, 
ready  wit,  a  bold  and  fearless  spirit,  and  with  all,  a  heart 
filled  with  the  love  of  God  and  man,  notwithstanding 
all  the  disadvantages  of  his  education,  he  has  been  a  very 
useful  and  much  respected  preacher  throughout  an  ex- 
tensive circle  of  churches.  He  was  once  taken  up  in 
Virginia  for  preaching,  and  carried  before  a  magistrate, 
where  he  defended  himself  so  expertly,  that  his  accusers 

*  Mr.  Gano's  Life,  p.  124, 


Anecdote  cf  Mr.  Murphy.  113 

retired  with  shame,  and  the  magistrate  bade  him  go 
about  his  business. 

Mr.  Murphy  had  many  verbal  rencounters  in  his  more 
active  days,  with  opposers  of  different  characters,  whom 
he  always  abashed  and  foiled.  His  feats  of  this  kind  he 
row  relates  with  much  pleasantry,  and  with  a  self-com- 
placency which  is  altogether  excusable  in  a  man  who  is 
about  80  years  old.  He  was  once  opposed  by  a  fanatick 
of  more  effrontery  than  argument,  who  contended  that 
Adam,  before  his  fall,  had  not  a  mortal  body,  but  was  a 
pure  spiritual  being.  A  woman  was  sitting  by,  careless- 
ly nursing  her  child,  whose  name  was  Frost,  who  said  to 
the  opposer,  "  I  do  not  see  how  God  could  take  out  a 
rib  from  Adam's  side,  and  close  up  the  flesh  again,  if 
he  were  nothing  but  a  spirit"  "  Ah,"  replied  Mr. 
Murphy,  "  I  think,  my  friend,  you  are  /ro;/-bitten,  and 
will  soon  wither  without  any  arguments  of  mine.'* 

Being  once  opposed  by  a  man  who  held  to  the  notion 
of  Universal  Restoration,  Mr.  Murphy  at  last  replied, 
"  I  do  not  see,  sir,  but  you,  on  your  plan,  make  hell  the 
sanctum  sanctorum  of  the  wicked  ;  for  after  all  the  means 
of  the  gospel  have  failed  to  benefit  them,  they  must  go 
to  hell  to  be  made  holy,  and  prepared  for  heaven." 

The  churches  in  this  Association  are  in  the  counties  o£ 
Rowan,  Wilkes,  Surry,  Iredell,  and  some  of  them  are  not 
far  from  the  town  of  Salisbury. 

MOUNTAIN  ASSOCIATION. 

THE  name  of  this  Association  is  sufficiently  descriptive 
of  its  situation  j  for  the  churches  of  which  it  is  compos- 
ed lie  mostly  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  and  are  scattered 
in  the  nooks  and  vallies  of  the  stupendous  pile  of  the 
Alleghany  mountains.  As  but  very  partial  accounts 
have  been  received,  the  following  brief  sketches  must 
suffice  for  its  history.  It  was  formed  in  1 799,  by  a  di- 
vision of  the  Yadkin  Association,  when  the  ten  following 
churches  were  dismissed,  viz.  Rye  Valley,  Three  Forks 
of  New  River,  North  Fork  of  New  River,  Fish  River, 
South  Fork  of  Roaring  River,  Beaver  Creek,  Head  of 
Yadkin,  Synclare's  Bottom,  Catawba,  an4  Cedar  Island, 

VOL.  2.  15 


.114  Fretich  Broad  Association. 

Three  of  these  churches  were  in  Virginia,  and  it  is  said 
that  some  of  them,  or  of  those  which  have  united  with 
the  Association  since  it  was  formed,  are  in  the  State  of 
Tennessee,  but  most  of  them  are  in  North-Carolina,  and 
are  in  the  counties  of  Ash,  Burk,  Wilks,  and  Surry. 

I  do  not  learn  that  this  body  has  ever  experienced 
any  remarkable  changes,  or  much  enlargement. 

FRENCH  BROAD  ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  is  a  small  body,  situated  mostly  in  the  county  of 
Buncombe,  in  a  mountainous  region  in  the  western  part 
of  this  State.  This  county  was  formerly  large  enough 
for  a  small  State,  and  extended  to  the  Tennessee  line. 
The  county  of  Hay  wood  has,  not  long  since,  been  taken 
from  it.  It  is,  however,  very  large,  and  encompasses  a 
number  of  everlasting  hills  and  some  fruitful  vallies. 
Through  it  runs  a  river  called  the  French  Broad,  which 
gave  name  to  the  Association  we  are  about  to  describe. 
The  Baptists  are  scattered  in  every  part  of  the  United 
States.  Scarcely  a  mountain  or  valley  in  which  they 
are  not  to  be  found.  So  many  of  them  were  settled  in 
this  region,  that  they  were  induced  to  form  an  Associ- 
ation in  1 8O7.  It  was,  at  first,  composed  of  six  church- 
es, viz.  Little  Ivey,  Locust,  Old  Fields,  Newfound,  Ca- 
ney- River,  French  Broad,  and  Cane-Creek.  The  three 
first  were  dismissed  from  the  Holston  Association  in 
Tennessee,  and  the  other  from  the  Broad-River  in 
South-Carolina.  Four  churches  have  been  added  to  this 
body  since  its  formation.  The  ministers  which  it  con- 
tained at  its  beginning  were  Thomas  Snelson,  Thomas 
Justice,  Sion  Blythc,  Benjamin  King,  Humphrey  Posey, 
and  Stephen  Morgan. 

By  reviewing  the  history  of  the  Baptists  in  this  State, 
it  appears  that  it  contains  11  Associations,  about  180 
churches,  and  upwards  of  12000  communicants. 
.  The  North-Carolinians,  like  their  neighbours  the  Vir- 
ginians, have  never  had  much  ambition  for  learning  or 
human  acquirements ;  but  they  have  had,  especially  in 
the  low  countries,  in  the  bounds  of  the  Kehukee  and 
NCUSQ  Associations  and  their  branches,  many  very  able 
and  respectable  ministers  and  brethren,  who  have,  in 


North-Carolina  Regulation.  115 

addition  to  their  religious  functions,  honourably  filled 
many  publick  stations,  as  magistrates,  legislators,  £c. 
But  as  their  biographies  have  been  much  neglected,  little 
can  be  said  about  them.  Biographical  sketches  of  a 
few  of  these  men  will  be  found  in  that  part  of  the  work 
which  is  devoted  to  that  subject. 

The  Baptists  in  this  State  have  never  suffered  much 
by  persecution,  yet  there  were  some  attempts  made  to 
harass  them.  About  J7t>8,  when  persecution  was  rag- 
ing  so  fiercely  against  their  brethren  in  Virginia,  a  num- 
ber were  apprehended,  belonging  to  the  Kehukee  Asso- 
ciation, and  upwards  of  70  persons  were  summoned  by 
the  Court  to  appear  against  them,  by  whom  they  were 
accused  of  heresy,  blasphemy,  and  riots  ;  but  in  the 
course  of  the  examination,  the  complaints  appeared  so 
ill  founded,  that  the  Court  dismissed  the  whole  matter, 
and  appeared  ashamed  of  the  prosecution,  as  well  they 
might  be  ;  for  their  blasphemies  turned  out  to  be  Scrip- 
ture expressions  ;  their  heresies  sound  doctrine;  and  the 
riots  with  which  they  were  charged,  were  raised  not  by 
them,  but  by  their  persecutors,  who  disturbed  their  as- 
semblies.* 

The  North-Carolina  Regulation  has  already  been  men- 
tioned, and  we  promised  to  give  a  further  account  of  it. 
This  civil  commotion  appears  to  have  been  similar  to 
the  Shays  affair  in  Massachusetts,  and  the  Whiskey  in- 
surrection in  Pennsylvania. 

Many  became  much  disaffected  with  the  provincial' 
government,  which  was  then  administered  by  Governor 
Tryon,  and  formed  an  extensive  combination  for  the 
purpose  of  regulating  and  reforming  it.  Some  of  their 
complaints  were,  that  they  had,  in  a  way  of  tax,  paid 
between  two  and  three  thousand  pounds  more  than 
would  sink  their  paper  money,  and  yet  about  sixty  thou- 
sand pounds  of  it  remained  unsunk ;  that  civil  officers 
and  lawyers  extorted  more  than  the  law  allowed  them, 
and  yet  were  not  punished,  but  suffered  to  prosecute 
the  complainers,  &c.  And  as  they  had  remonstrated 
without  effect,  and  saw  no  prospect  of  a  redress  of  their 
grievances,  they  determined,  at  length,  to  make  use  of 

*  Morgan  Echvards's  MS.  Hist  of  the  Baptists  in  North-Carolina. 


116  Troubles  occasioned  by  the  Regulators. 

arguments  of  a  more  convincing  nature.  Troops  were 
immediately  raised  by  Governor  Try  on  to  suppress  the 
rebellion  ;  and  on  May  16,  1771,  it  seems  a  battle  was 
fought  between  4000  Regulators  and  2OOO  of  the  Gov- 
ernor's troops,  in  which  1 2  of  the  former  and  3  of  the 
latter  were  slain.  I  am  not  able  to  give  a  particular  his- 
tory of  this  rebellious  faction,  as  it  was  deemed,  which, 
it  is  sufficient  to  say,  was  quelled  and  dispersed  ;  nor 
would  it  correspond  with  the  design  of  this  work,  if  I 
could  ;  and  I  should  have  passed  it  by  altogether,  had 
it  not  been  for  what  follows. 

Governor  Tryon  is  said  to  have  represented  "  the 
Regulators,  as  a  faction  of  Quakers  and  Baptists,  who 
aimed  at  overturning  the  Church  of  England."  The 
same  insinuation  was  also  published  in  a  news-paper. 
Morgan  Edwards  was  in  the  country  the  next  year  after 
these  events  happened,  and  observes,  "  If  the  Governor 
said,  as  here  suggested,  he  must  be  misinformed  ;  for  I 
made  it  my  business  to  inquire  into  the  matter,  and  can 
aver,  that  among  4000  Regulators,  there  were  but  7  of 
the  denomination  of  Baptists ;  and  these  were  expelled 
the  societies  they  belonged  unto,  in  consequence  of  the 
resolve  of  the  Baptist  Association  held  at  Sandy-Creek 
the  second  Saturday  in  Oct.  1 769.  "  If  any  of  our  mem* 
bers  shall  take  up  arms  against  the  legal  authority,  or  aid 
and  abet  them  that  do  so,  he  shall  be  excommunicat- 
ed,'* &c.  When  this  was  known  abroad,  one  of  the 
four  chiefs  of  the  Regulators,  with  an  armed  company, 
broke  into  the  assembly,  and  demanded,  if  there  were 
such  a  resolve  entered  into  by  the  Association  ?  The 
answer  was  evasive,  for  they  were  in  bodily  fear.  This 
checked  the  design  much  ;  and  the  author  of  the  Im- 
partial Relation  is  obliged  to  own,  page  1 6,  "  There  (in 
Sandy-Creek)  the  scheme  met  with  some  opposition,  on 
account  that  it  was  too  hot  and  rash,  and  in  some  things 
not  legal,"  &c.  One  of  the  seven  Baptists,  by  the  name 
of  Merrill,  was  executed  ;  and  he,  at  the  point  of  death, 
did  not  justify  his  conduct,  but  bitterly  condemned  it ; 
and  blamed  two  men  (of  very  different  religion)  for  de- 
ceiving him  into  the  rebellion,  His  speech  at  the  gal- 
lows was  as  follows : 


Speech  of  Mr.  Merrill  at  the  Gallows.  117 

*e  I  stand  here  exposed  to  the  world  as  a  criminal. 
My  life  will  soon  be  a  change.    God  is  my  comforter 
and  supporter.      I  am  condemned  to  die  for  opposing 
government.     All  you  that  are  present,  take  warning  by 
my  miserable  end,  when  I  shall  be  hung  up  as  a  specta- 
cle before  you.     My  first  seducers  were  Hunter  and  Ge- 
laspie.     They  had  often  solicited  me,  telling  that  a  set- 
dement  only  was  contended  for  with  regard  to  publick 
officers,  who,  they  said,  had  oppressed  the  people ;  and 
that  unless  these  measures  were  taken,  there  would  be 
no  remedy  or  redress  hereafter.     Thus  they  pressed  me 
on,  by  assuring  me  the  disputes  (as  they  called  them) 
then  existing   might  be   settled   without  shedding  of 
blood.     I  considered  this  unhappy  affair,  and  thought, 
possibly,the  contentions  in  the  country  might  be  brought 
to  some  determination,  without  injury  to  any  ;  and  in 
this  mind  I  joined  the  Regulation.     After  I  had  enlisted 
under  the  banner  of  the  Regulators,  I  was  ever  after 
pressed  to  be  made  a  leading  man  among  them ;  and 
was  one  of  the  number  who  opposed  Col.  Weddel  with 
his  troops ;  information  prevailing  that  the  Governor 
was  on  his  march  to  lay  waste  this  country  and  destroy 
its  inhabitants,  which  I  now  find  to  be  fatae,  and  propa- 
gated to  screen  old  offenders  from  justice.      As  to  my 
private  life,  I  do  not  know  of  any  particular  charge 
against  me.     I  received,  by  the  grace  of  God,  a  change, 
fifteen  years  ago ;  but  have,  since  that  time,  been  a 
backslider  ;  yet  Providence,  in  which  is  my  chief  secu- 
rity, has  been  pleased  to  give  me  comfort,  under  these 
evils,  in  my  last  hour ;  and  although  the  halter  is  now 
round  my  neck,  believe  me,  I  would  not  change  stations 
with  any  man  on  the  ground.     All  you,  who  think  you 
stand,  take  heed  lest  ye  fall.     I  would  be  glad  to  say  a 
few  words  more  before  I  die.     In  a  few  moments,  I 
shall  leave  a  widow  and  ten  children ;  I  entreat  that  no 
reflection  may  be  cast  on  them  on  my  account ;  and  if 
possible,  shall  deem  it  as  a  bounty,  should  you,  gentle- 
men, petition  the  Governor  and  Council,  that  some  part 
of  my  estate  may  be  spared  for  the  widow  and  the  fa- 
therless :  it  will  be  an  act  of  charity,  for  I  have  forfeit 
ed  the  whole,  by  the  laws  of  God  and  man."     The  man 
bore  an  excellent  character,  insomuch  that  one  of  his 


US  Mr.  Merrill's  Character  vindicated. 

enemies  was  heard  to  say,  "  that  if  all  went  to  the  gal- 
lows with  Capt.  Merrill's  character,  hanging  would  be 
an  honourable  death."  All  pitied  him,  and  blamed  the 
wicked  Hunter,  Gelaspie,  Howell,  Husband,  Butler,  and 
others,  who  deceived  and  seduced  him.  Upwards  of 
70  bills  were  found  at  the  time,  but  Merrill  was  the  on- 
ly Baptist  among  the  number.  The  four  principals  in 
the  Regulation  are  well  known  to  be  of  other  religious 
denominations. 

I  thought  it  necessary  to  say  so  much,  lest  the  Gov- 
ernor's words  should,  in  time,  make  the  North-Carolina 
Regulation  another  Minister  tragedy.* 

Six  of  the  North  Carolina  Associations,  viz.  Chowan 
Country-Line,  Flat-River,  Kehukee,  Raleigh,  and  Sandy- 
Creek,  have  lately  formed  a  General  Meeting  of  Corres- 
pondence, on  a  plan  similar  to  that  of  Virginia. 

There  have  been  some  very  extensive  revivals  among 
the  Baptists  in  this  State,  since  these  sketches  were  made 
out ;  if  I  can  learn  the  particulars  respecting  them  in  sea- 
son, they  shall  be  inserted  in  the  Appendix. 

Our  brethren  in  this  State  have  also  made  some  exer- 
tions in  the  Missionary  cause,  and  have  an  establishment. 


CHAP.    XL 

SOUTH-CAROLINA. 

THERE  are,  at  present,  four  Associations  wholly  in  this 
State,  viz.  the  Charleston,  the  Bethel,  the  Saluda,  and 
the  Edgefield ;  and  two  others,  viz.  the  Broad-river 
and  Savannah-river,  which  are  partly  in  South-Carolina 
and  partly  in  the  adjoining  States.  The  Broad-river  is  in 
the  northwest  corner  of  the  State,  and  a  few  of  the 
churches  are  in  North-Carolina.  The  Savannah-river  is 
composed  of  churches  which  are  situated  in  the  south- 
east parts  of  South-Carolina  and  the  neighbouring  parts 
of  the  State  of  Georgia. 

The  history  of  each  of  these  bodies  will  be  given  in  their 
proper  order. 

*  M.  F/lwaris's  MS.  Hist,  of  the  Baptists  in  Ifcrtli- Care-Una. 


Rapid  Increase  of  Separates  in  North -Carolina.       119 

From  the  first  settlement  of  the  Baptists  in  this  Prov- 
ince in  1683,  there  have  always  been  a  number  of  respecta- 
ble characters  of  the  society,  but  their  numbers  increased 
very  sJowly  for  a  great  number  of  years,  insomuch  that 
in  1751,  when  the  Charleston  Association  was  formed, 
there  were  but  four  churches,  and  these  not  very  large,  to 
compose  it.  Soon  after  this  period,  Baptist  sentiments 
began  more  rapidly  to  prevail.  A  number  of  churches 
were,  in  a  few  years,  formed  from  the  old  ones,  or  raised 
up  on  new  ground,  hi  their  vicinities,  and  united  iri  Asso- 
ciation with  them.  "'About  the  year  ]  760,  the  Separate 
Baptists  from  North-Carolina  began  their  evangelical  ex- 
ertions in  the  upper  parts  of  the  State,  where  their  senti- 
ments took  a  rapid  spread,  and  a  number  of  large  church- 
es were  soon  gathered.  And  in  2 1  years  after  the  forma- 
tion of  the  Charleston  Association,  viz.  in  1772,  there 
were,  in  South-Carolina,  according  to  Morgan  Edwards's 
account,  who  then  visited  the  country,  2O  churches  inclu- 
ding the  Separates,  in  which  were  16  ordained  ministers, 
21  exhorters  or  licensed  preachers,  and  almost  110O 
communicants.  And  these  20  churches  had  erected  for 
their  use  upwards  of  40  meeting-houses,  as  some  of  them 
were  large  and  consisted  of  a  number  of  branches.  There 
were,  at  the  same  time,  in  this  State,  three  churches  of  the 
Tunker  and  one  of  the  General  Baptists ;  in  all  of  which, 
however,  there  were  but  a  little  more  than  1OO  commu- 
nicants. But  for  34<  years  subsequent  to  the  last  mention- 
ed date,  the  Baptists  increased  in  this  State  in  a  much  great- 
er proportion  ;  for  it  appears  by  a  statement  furnished  by 
Dr.  Furman,  of  Charleston,  in  1806,  that  there  were  then 
in  South-Carolina,  of  the  Calvinistick  Associated  Bap- 
tists, about  130  churches,  in  which  were  about  iOO  min- 
isters, and  10,500  communicants. 

The  history  of  the  Baptists  in  South-Carolina  naturally 
divides  itself  into  two  branches  ;  and  in  pursuing  it,  we 
shall,  in  the  first  place,  relate  the  affairs  of  those  who  emi- 
grated hither  from  other  parts,  in  the  early  settlement  of  the 
province,  who  settled  along  the  sea-coast,  and  in  the  lower 
parts  of  the  State,  and  from  whom  have  originnted  most 
of  the  churches  in  these  regions.  We  shall,  in  the 
second  place,  take  notice  of  those  who  were  at  first,  and 
for  a  number  of  years,  called  Separates,  who  ssttl^d  m  the 


120       Settlers  of  South-Carolina  principally  Baptists. 

middle  and  upper  parts  of  the  country,  from  whom  have 
sprung  a  major  part  of  the  Baptists  now  in  the  State. 

Of  the  early  settlers  of  South-Carolina,  a  considerable 
proportion  were  Baptists.  They  came  in  separate  colo- 
nies, about  the  year  1683,  partly  from  the  west  of  En- 
gland, and  partly  from  Piscataway  in  the  District  of  Maine. 
Those  from  England,  cams  with  Lord  Cardross  and  a 
Mr.  Blake,  whose  wife  and  her  mother,  Lady  Axtell,  were 
Baptist  members,  and  settled,  some  about  Ashley  and 
Cooper  rivers,  and  others  about  the  mouth  of  the  river 
Edisto.  Those  from  the  District  of  Maine  were  led  hith- 
er by  Rev.  William  Screven,  who,  with  a  considerable 
number  of  his  brethren,  fled  from  the  persecuting  rage 
of  the  New-England  Pedobaptists,  and  settled  on  Cooper- 
river,  at  a  place  called  Summerton,*  at  no  great  distance 
from  the  place  where  Charleston  now  stands. 

Here  this  company  were  formed  into  a  church  by  Mr. 
Screven,  who  became  their  pastor.  The  names  of  the 
constituents  are  said  to  have  been  the  Screvens,  the  At- 
wells,  the  Bulleins,  the  Elliots,  the  Ravens,  the  Bakers, 
the  Barkers,  the  Blakes,  the  Childs,  the  Caters,  the  Whit- 
akers,  the  Bryants,  the  Butlers,  the  Chapmans,  &c.  It 
appears  pretty  evident,  that  the  Baptists  from  Old  and 
New  England,  arrived  in  South-Carolina  about  the  same 
time;  but  it  is  suggested  by  Mr.  Edwards,  that  those  from 
Piscataway  settled  here,  first,  and  had  formed  the  church 
before  their  brethren  from  England  arrived,!  and  that  the 
small  body  which  had  been  formed,  received  considerable 
additions  on  their  arrival. 

Before  the  year  1693,  most  of  the  members  had  re- 
moved from  Summerton  towards  the  neck,  on  which 
Charleston  is  built,  which  made  it  necessary  to  remove 
the  seat  of  the  church  to  the  town.  They  held  their  wor- 
ship on  their  removal  at  the  house  of  one  William  Chap- 
man, in  King-street,  until  they  raised  a  temporary  build- 
ing in  the  same  street,  which  they  occupied  but  a  short 

*  Summerton  was  probably  the  name  of  a  plantation,  as  I  am  informed 
that  there  is  no  such  place  now  in  the  region. 

t  Mr.  Edwards  dates  the  beginning  of  this  church  in  1664.  His  accounts 
were  collected  from  the  traditions  of  ancient  people,  who  must  have  made  a 
mistake  of  about  20  years  ;  since  it  is  very  evident  from  Backus's  history,  that 
Mr.  Screven  did  not  leave  Piscataway  until  some  time  after  the  year  1680. 


Dispute  respecting  the  Meeting  and  Parsonage  Houses.  121 

time.  In  1699,  they  erected  a  brick  meeting-house,  on 
the  same  lot  with  the  parsonage-house,  in  Church-street, 
which  was  demolished  in  18O8,  having  been  some  time 
in  a  ruinous  condition.  The  building  at  present  occupied 
by  them,  is  a  commodious  brick  edifice,  .59  feet  by'  42, 
and  was  erected  in  174-6.  Its  erection  was  owing  to  a 
singular  interference  of  the  Provincial  Legislature.  A 
party  had  drawn  off  some  years  before,  and  formed  a 
church  upon  the  sentiments  of  the  General  Baptists,  the 
history  of  which  will  be  given  in  its  proper  place.  The 
lot  on  which  the  meeting  and  parsonage  houses  had  been, 
erected,  was  given  by  William  Elliot,  whose  son  was  now 
a  leading  man  among  the  General  Baptists.  In  1745,  the 
trustees,  to  whom  the  above  lot  had  been  given  being  all 
dead,  without  conveying  the  trust  to  others,  the  church, 
for  the  purpose  of  securing  their  property,  and  preventing 
disputes  which  might  arise,  now  presented  a  petition  to 
the.  General  Assembly,  signed  by  17  persons,  praying 
that  trustees  might  be  appointed  by  Government.  The 
General  Baptists  had,  at  that  time,  a  minister  of  learning 
and  abilities,  whose  nanne  was  Haywood.  >  The  minister 
of  the  Particular  Baptists  "(the  original  church)  was  Mr. 
Simmons^  generally  respected  as  a  good  man,  but  then  in 
his  dotage,  and  under  the  influence  cf  his  son-in-law  Dr. 
Dale,  a  man  of  intrigue  and  a  friend  of  Mr.  Haywood. 
By  the  Doctor's  means  a  misunderstanding  had  taken  place 
between  Mr.  Simmons  and  his  church  ;  in  consequence  of 
which,  Mr.  Simmons  was  suspended  from  the  exercise  of 
his  office,  and  the  doors  of  the  house  of  worship  shut 
against  him ;  but  a  small  party  forced  the  doors,  and  in- 
troduced him  by  violence  into  the  pulpit.  This  was  the 
situation  of  affairs  when  the  petition  was  presented  ;  it 
was,  therefore,  soon  followed  by  a  counter  petitipn  from. 
Mr.  Simmons  and  Mr.  Gracia,  a  deacon,  praying  that  the 
Legislature  would  not  permit  the  church,  whom  they 
styled  a  party,  to  deprive  Mr.  Simmons  of  his  pastoral 
office  and  living.  A  bill  was,  therefore,  brought  in,  td 
revive  the  trust  of  the  lot  and  buildings  in  question,  by 
the  Assembly,  and  trustees  were  appointed,  some  of  whom 
were  of  Mr.  Hay  wood's  congregation  ;  Mr.  Gracia  was 
also  one.  The  Particular  Baptists  then  remonstrated,  and 
VOL.  2.  l'j 


J22  Conin.  respecting  Donation. 

prayed  that  none  might  be  appointed  as  trustees,  bu! 
such  as  were  in  communion  with  them  and  governed  by 
their  rules,  declaring  the  church  under  Mr.  Haywood  to 
be  in  no  connexion  with  them.  They  produced  evidence 
to  prove,  that  the  original  church  were  Calvinists,  and 
that  Mr.  Elliot  was  professedly  the  same  at  the  time  of 
the  donation,  and  many  years  afterwards.  The  Assembly 
finally  passed  a  law  to  confirm  the  donation  in  the  hands 
of  the  trustees  first  nominated  in  the  bill ;  and  in  a  clause 
of  the  law  they  say,  "  that  as  the  General  Baptists  are 
Antipedobaptists  as  well  as  the  Particular  Baptists,  they 
shall  have  equal  right  in  the  said  property."  Thus  the 
General  Baptists,  taking  occasion  from  the  dispute  be- 
tween the  Particular  Baptists  and  their  minister,  and  ma- 
king him  subservient  to  their  purpose,  were,  by  an  act  of 
the  Legislature,  put  in  possession  of  a  property,  to  which, 
it  does  not  appear,  they  ever  made  a  previous  claim. 
After  Mr.  Simmons's  death,  Mr.  Graciaand  a  few  others, 
who  countenanced  his  opposition,  confessed  their  fault, 
and  were  again  united  to  the  original  body. 

This  determination  of  the  Assembly  bears  date  May 
25,  1745.  Thus  they  went  on  until  Oct.  9,  1758,  when 
both  parties  agreed  that  the  General  Baptists  should  have 
the  sole  use  of  the  meeting-house,  and  the  Particular 
Baptists  the  sole  use  of  the  parsonage,  which  (said  Mr. 
Edwards  in  177'^)  is  the  present  posture  of  their  affairs, 
and  suits  the  latter  well  enough,  as  they  had  been  oblig- 
ed in  1746  to  build  another  place  of  worship. 

In  17S7,  this  church  recovered  peaceable  possession  of 
the  whole  property,  and  has  held  it  ever  since.  /In  1  SOI, 
the  City  Council  having  an  idea  that  one  half  of  it  had 
become  publick  property,  in  consequence  of  the  General 
Baptists  being  extinct,  took  measures  for  securing  it  for 
ihe  benefit  of  the  Orphan-House.  But  upon  hearing 
;i  committee  of  the  church,  who  substantiated  their 
title,  by  an  exhibition  of  authentick  records,  the  Council 
gave  up  their  claim,  and  officially  confirmed  the  right 
of  the  church  ;  which  acknowledgment  was  entered 
on  the  publick  records  of  the  State. 

It  has  already  been  stated  that  William  Scr even  was  the 
founder  and  first  pastor  of  this  ancient  and  respectable 
church.  He  was  a  native  of  England,  where  he  was 


Character  and  Advice  of  Rev.  Charles  0.  Screven. 

born  about  the  year  1 629.     When  he  settled  at  Piscat- 
away,  cannot  be  ascertained.     An  account  of  the  suffer- 
ings which  he  and  his  brethren  endured  in  that  place,  and 
which  drove   them  to  seek  an  asylum  in  the  more  tran- 
quil regions  of  the  south,  may  be  found  in   the  history 
of  the  District  of  Maine.     In   Piscataway   he   married 
Bridget  Cutts,  by  whom  he  had  children,  Samuel,  Mercy, 
Sarah,  Bridget,   Elizabeth,   Robert,  Perrnenas,  Joshua, 
William,  Joseph,  and  Elisha.     But  little  can  be  learnt  of 
the  history  of  this  numerous  family ;  but  it  is  known 
that  the  posterity  of  this  venerable  progenitor,  although 
mostly  under  other  names,  has  been  and  continues  to  be 
respectable,  and  considerably  numerous.     The  late  CoL 
Thomas  Screven,  an  influential  man  in  the  Baptist  socie- 
ty in   Charleston,  and  Rev.  Charles  O.  Screven,  of  Sun- 
bury,  Georgia,  are  amongst  the  number.     Mr.  Screven, 
though  riot  a  classical,  was  a  good  English  scholar,  and 
was  eminent  for  piety  and  usefulness.     After  his  re- 
moval to  South-Carolina,  the  Baptist  church  in  Boston, 
of  which  he  had  been  a  member,  being  destitute,  sent 
for  him  to  be   their  pastor.     His  answer,  dated  June, 
1707,  contains  this  passage  :   "  Our  minister,  who  came 
from  England,  is  dead,  and  I  can  by  no  means  be  spared. 
It  is  a  great  loss  and  a  great  disappointment ;  but  the 
will  of  the  Lord  is  done.*'     Aug.  6,  1708,  he  wrote  to 
them  as  follows :  "  Our  society  are  for  the  most  part  in 
health,  and  I  hope  thriving  in  grace.     We  are  90  in  all." 
He  wrote  "  An  Ornament  for  Church  Members,"  which 
was  printed  after  his  death.     One  passage  of  which  runs 
thus  :  "  And  now  for  a  close  of  all,  (my  dear  brethren 
and  sisters,  whom  God  hath  made  me,  poor  unworthy 
me,  an  instrument  of  gathering  and  settling  in  the  faith 
and  order  of  the  gospel)  my  request  is,  that  you,  as  speed- 
ily as  possible,  supply  yourselves  with  an  able  and  faith- 
ful minister.     Be  sure  you  take  care  that  the  person  be 
orthodox  in  faith,  and  of  blameless  life,  and  does  own 
the   confession  of  faith  put  forth  by  our  brethren  in 
London  in  1689,"  &c. 

In  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  Mr.  Screven  removed  to 
Georgetown,  about  60  miles  to  the  north  of  Charleston, 
where  he  died  in  peace  in  1713,  having  arrived  to  th^. 


1 24     Charleston  Church  revived  under  Whiiejield's  Preaching. 

good  old  age  of  84  years.  He  is  said  to  have  been  the 
original  proprietor  of  the  land,  on  which  Georgetown  is 
built. 

After  the  death  of  its  first  pastor,  the  Charleston 
church  underwent  a  number  of  changes,  as  to  numbers 
and  harmony.  His  successors  in  office  were  Messrs.  Peart 
and  Simmons.  Previous,  however,  to  the  settlement  of 
the  first  of  them,  Mr.  White  and  others  preached  occa- 
sionally with  them.  Rev.  William  Peart  came  hither 
an  ordained  minister,  but  from  what  place  I  cannot  learn, 
about  the  year  17 17,  and  continued  the  pastor  of  the 
church,  until  he  died  in  1728.  He  married  Sarah, 
•widow  of  Paul  Grimball,  but  had  no  children.  She  after- 
wards married  a  Mr.  Smith,  and  under  that  name  gave 
a  legacy  to  the  first  Baptist  church  in  Philadelphia,  of 
about  900  dollars.  Mr.  Peart's  successor  was  Rev. 
Thomas  Simmons,  who  was  born  in  England,  but 
came  to  Charleston  from  Pennsylvania,  where  he  had 
been  ordained.  His  father  gave  him  an  academical  ed- 
ucation, and  then  bound  him  to  the  carpenter's  business, 
which  he  did  not  like.  He,  therefore,  came  to  Ameri- 
ca, that  he  might  be  free  to  follow  his  inclination,  which 
was  towards  the  ministry.  He  had  two  children,  Thom- 
as and  Hannah.  The  son  died  childless  ;  the  daughter 
married  Dr.  Thomas  Dale,  and  had  many  children,  who 
removed  to  England  after  their  father's  death. 

Mr.  Simmons  published  one  piece,  entitled,  "  Some 
Queries  concerning  the  Operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  an- 
swered." Under  his  ministry,  the  church  passed  through 
a  series  of  trials,  occasioned  by  the  schism  and  encroach- 
ments of  the  General  Baptists,  and  by  disputes  among 
themselves;  and  towards  the  close  of  it,  was  reduced 
to  the  verge  of  extinction,  there  remaining  but  one  man 
and  two  women,  who  were  communicants.  But  when 
Mr.  Whitefield  first  visited  Charleston,  there  was  a 
great  revival  under  his  ministry,  and  this  church  shar- 
ing largely  in  its  salutary  influences,  soon  received  the 
addition  of  about  a  hundred  members,  Mr.  Sim- 
mons died  January  31,  1747,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  Oliver  Hart.  His  settlement  in  Charleston  was 
an  important  event  to  the  South-Carolina  churches. 
His  unexpected  arrival,  while  the  church  was  destitute 


Further  Blessings  for  Charleston  Church.  125 

of  a  supply,  and  immediately  after  the  death  of  the  ex- 
cellent Mr.  Chanler,  who  had  occasionally  officiated  for 
them  since  Mr.  Simmons's  death,  was  believed  to  have 
been  directed  by  a  special  providence  in  their  favour. 
He  undertook  the  pastoral  office  with  much  seriousness, 
and  soon  entered  on  an  extensive  field  of  usefulness. 
His  ardent  piety  and  active  philanthropy,  his  discrimina- 
ting mind,  and  persuasive  address,  raised  him  high  in 
the  esteem  of  the  publick,  and  gave  him  a  distinguished 
claim  to  the  affections  of  his  brethren.  (For  an  inter- 
esting account  of  Mr.  Hart,  see  his  biography.) 

Mr.  Hart  having,  for  his  safety,  retired  to  New- Jersey 
at  the  beginning  of  the  American  war,  this  church  was 
for  many  years  destitute  of  a  pastor.  But  in  1787,  it 
had  the  felicity  to  settle  among  them  Rev.  Richard 
Furman,  D.  D.  who  yet  continues  their  much-esteemed 
and  affectionate  pastor. 

Dr.  Furman  was  born  at  Esopus,  on  the  Hudson-river, 
in  the  State  of  New-York,  about  1 748  :*  his  extensive 
and  successful  exertions  for  the  benefit  of  his  own  church, 
of  the  Baptist  interest  in  South-Carolina,  and  the  cause 
of  Zion  generally,  will  furnish  interesting  articles  for 
some  future  biographer  ;  but  pursuant  to  the  maxims  we 
have  adopted  respecting  the  living,  they  cannot  here  be 
minutely  detailed. 

The  Charleston  church  has  now  (1813)  existed  ISO 
years,  and  is  among  the  largest  in  South-Carolina.  It  is 
remarkable  for  its  hospitality  to  visiting  brethren,  and 
its  abundant  charities  to  those  who  are  in  necessitous 
circumstances. 

ASHLEY    RIVER. 

THIS  was  the  second  church  which  was,  formed  in 
South-Carolina.  From  about  the  time  the  Baptists  first 
settled  in  this  vicinity,  they  had  stood  connected  with 
the  Charleston  church,  as  a  branch  of  that  body.  But 
on  May  24,  1736,  the  members  here,  to  the  number  of 
twenty-eight,  were  constituted  into  a  distinct  church  by 

*  I  am  not  certain  about  the  time  of  Dr.  Furman's  birth ;  but  I  suppose  that 
he  is  new  about  sixty- five  years  fif  age,  and  tlv;t  v. 
ted. 


126     Character  of  Rev.  Mr.  Chanter  and  Rev.  Mr.  Stephens. 

a  special  covenant,  under  the  pastoral  care  of  Rev.  Isaac 
Chanler.  The  constituents  were  Isaac  Chanlcr,  pastor, 
William  Cater,  John  Bullcin,  Richard  Bedon,  jun. 
Benjamin  Child,  John  Sheppard,  jun.  Charles  Barker, 
Charles  Filben,  Francis  Sheppard,  Alexander  Sheppard, 
Jacob  Brad  well,  John  Angell,  Thomas  Ramsay,  Richard 
Bedon,  sen.  Sarah  Baker,  Mary  Cater,  Susannah  Brad- 
well,  Christiana  Brown,  Ann  Maam,  Elizabeth  Chanler, 
Elizabeth  Bullein,  Joyel  Griffin,  Elizabeth  Bedon,  Eliza- 
beth Salter,  Susannah  Baker,  Elizabeth  Marrion,  Mary 
Sheppard,  and  Ann  Peacock. 

Mr.  Chanler  was  born  at  Bristol,  England,  1701  ; 
came  to  Ashley-river  about  1733,  and  continued  the 
n.'uch-csteemed  pastor  of  this  church,  until  he  died, 
Nov.  30,  174-9,  in  the  49th  year  of  his  age.  Mr.  Chan- 
lcr was  a  man  of  distinguished  talents,  piety  and  use- 
fulness. He  was  the  author  of  a  treatise  in  small 
quarto,  esteemed  an  able  defence  of  the  Calvinistick 
doctrines,  and  entitled  "  The  Doctrines  of  Glorious 
Grace  unfolded,  defended,  and  practically  improved." 
He  also  published  a  "  Treatise  on  Original  Sin,'*  and  a 
Sermon  on  the  death  of  Rev.  William  Tilly.  The  late 
Isaac  Chanler,  M.  D.  was  his  son. 

Rev.  John  Stephens  succeeded  Mr.  Chanler.  He  was 
born  on  Staten-lsland,  in  the  State  and  near  the  city  of 
New-York.  Of  his  early  life,  I  can  learn  no  more,  than 
that  he  settled  first  at  Horse-Neck,  in  Connecticut,  where 
he  gathered  a  little  church  in  1747,  having  been  ordained 
at  Oyster  Bay,  on  Long-Island,  the  same  year.  He  came 
to  Ashley-river  in  the  month  of  May,  J  75O,  and  shortly 
after  was  invested  with  the  pastoral  care  of  the  church. 
In  this  office  Mr.  Stephens  continued  with  high  reputa- 
tion, for  a  number  of  years  ;  but  by  an  unhappy  fondness 
for  strong  drink,  he  was  obliged  to  quit  both  the  church 
and  ministry  in  1769.*  From  this  dreadful  fall  he  nev- 
er fully  recovered,  but  professed  and  was  believed  to 

*  In  Mr.  Edwards's  account  of  this  unhappy  affair,  1  find  the  following  en- 
vious remarks:  "Has  i,ot  a  dumb  sjr.rit.  a  tfe«/' spirit,  an  unclean  spirit,  &c. 
been  cast  out?  and  who  knows  bu*.  Ju itict'c'j.  spirit  v.  HI  one  day  be  exorcised 
out  of  this  country,  where  it  makes  such  dreadful  havock  ?  The  Indians  them- 
selves lament  its  heing  brought  hither,  though  they  are  excessively  fond 
or  it.  Surely  if  am~  creature  of  ( '•  .  rt  ^ccd.  ruin  would  be  it." 

MS.  &c.  p.  U. 


Church  removed  from  Edisio-Island  to  Ewhaw.     1  27 

be  penitent,  and  was  improperly  admitted  again  to 
preach.  He  died  suddenly  at  Black-river  in  1785.  The 
defection  of  Mr.  Stephens  was  a  circumstance  peculiarly 
painful  to  the  friends  of  Zion,  and  happened  about  the 
time  Mr.  Bedgegood,  another  celebrated  minister,  was 
disowned  for  a  crime  which  will  be  mentioned  in  the 
history  of  the  Welsh  Neck  church.  From  this  period 
the  Ashley-river  church  declined,  and  in  the  revolution- 
ary war  became  extinct.  Its  property,  consisting  of  the 
lot  on  which  the  house  of  worship  was  built,  about  four- 
teen miles  from  Charleston,  a  valuable  parsonage,  church 
plate,  several  negroes,  and  some  hundred  pounds  in 
fund,  were  seized  by  a  sacrilegious  individual,  and  con- 
verted to  his  own  use. 

EWHAW  CHURCH. 

The  Welsh  Neck  church,  as  to  its  constitution,  is  older 
than  the  Ewhaw  ;  but  as  this  originated  from  the  Charles- 
ton church,  we  shall  give  its  history  first. 

The  foundation  of  the  Evvhaw^  church  was  laid  in  the 
year  1683,  when,  it  is  said,  that  some  Baptists  from 
England,  in  company  with  those  who  settled  at  Ashley - 
river,  and  founded  Charleston  church,  arrived  here  with 
the  lord  Cardross.  They  were  visited  by  Mr.  Screven  and 
the  succeeding  ministers  of  Charleston,  until  God  raised 
up  a  minister  among  themselves,  whose  name  was  Wil- 
liam Tilly.  The  names  of  the  original  emigrants  were 
William  Fry,  Thomas  Grimball,  Providence  Grimball, 
Ephraim  Mikili,  Joseph  Sealy,  Joseph  Perminter,  Isaac 
Perminter,  Thomas  Perminter,  and  some  others,  whose 
names  are  not  known.  These  persons  settled  on  Edisto- 
Island,  where  was  the  seat  and  centre  of  the  community, 
which  stood  as  a  branch  of  the  Charleston  church.  About 
forty  years  after  this  settlement  was  made,  the  Baptist 
families  here  began  to  remove  their  habitations,  some  to 
Port-Royal,  an  island  to  the  south  of  Edisto,  on  which 
the  tlown  of  Beaufort  now  stands,  and  others  to  Ewhaw, 
otherwise  called  Indian-Island.  But  the  brethren  who 
went  to  Port- Royal  soon  followed  those  who  had  gone 
to  Ewhaw,  and  by  this  means  the  seat  of  this  body  \va- 
removed  from  Edisto  to  the  place  where  it  now  is. 


128  Death  and  Character  of  Mr.  Tilly. 

This  church  has  built  three  meeting-houses.  The  first 
was  erected  on  the  island  of  Edisto,  in  1726  ;  for  before 
this  time  they  met  in  a  common  meeting-house,  which 
they  were  turned  out  of  in  1722,  by  their  overbearing 
brethren,  the  Presbyterians.  The  meeting-house  at  Ew- 
IVJLW,  which  is  36  feet  by  30,  was  built  in  17-51 ;  and  it  so 
happened,  that  as  soon  as  it  was  finished,  Mr.  George 
Whitefield  came  along,  and  preached  in  it  for  the  first 
time.  Besides  these,  they  built  a  house  at  Hilton  Head, 
on  the  island,  about  18  miles  off,  where  was  formerly  a 
branch  of  the  church. 

It  has  already  been  mentioned,  that  the  first  minister 
which  this  people  had  to  live  amongst  them,  was  William 
Tilly.  He  was  a  native  of  Salisbury,  in  England  ;  was 
called  to  the  ministry,  and  ordained  by  the  church  in 
Charleston.  He  resided  on  Edisto  until  his  death, which 
happened  April  14,  1744,  in  the  46th  year  of  his  age. 
His  funeral  sermon  was  preached  by  Mr.  Chanler, where- 
in he  thus  speaks  of  the  deceased  :  "  A  minister  he  was, 
able  and  faithful  to  declare  unto  you  the  whole  counsel 
of  God.  Some  of  you  were  car  and  eye  witnesses  of  his 
steadfast  faith  and  hope  on  his  death-bed.  With  what 
composedness  of  mind  and  solid  satisfaction  received  he 
the  awful  summons  !  How  free  from  all  slavish  fear  of 
the  king  of  terrors !  How  affectionately  recommended 
he  you  to  the  blessing  and  protection  of  God  !  and  with 
\vhat  cheerful  resignation  gave  he  up  his  spirit  to  the 
hands  of  a  dear  Redeemer  !  He  lived  and  died  in  the 
Lord." 

Mr.  Tilly  died  two  years  before  the  Ewhaw  church 
was  constituted.  This  people,  for  upwards  of  6O  years 
after  their  settlement  here,  remained  a  branch  of  the 
Charleston  church,  and  for  reasons  which  are  not  known, 
took  much  pains  to  be  considered  in  that  relation, though 
solicited  by  the  mother  body  to  become  a  distinct  church. 
But  in  May,  1746,  they  were  dismissed  and  organized  in- 
to a  church,  by  the  assistance  of  Rev.  Isaac  Chanler,  of 
Ashley -river. 

Rev.  Francis  Pilot,  A.  M.  was  the  first  minister  they 
had  after  this  period.  He  was  born  at  Norville,  in 'Swit- 
zerland, March  11,  1720,  of  Presbyterian  parents,  where 
he  received  a  good  education.  He  arrived  in  South- 


Pastors  of  the  Ewbaw  Church.  129 

Carolina,  in  1734,  and  ten  years  after  embraced  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  Baptists.  Soon  after  the  Ewhaw  church 
was  constituted,  he  was  called  to  be  its  pastor,  in  which 
office  he  continued  with  much  reputation,  until  his  death, 
in  1774.  Mr.  Pelot  was  a  very  distinguished  man,  in  his 
day,  amongst  the  South-Carolina  Baptists.  He  possessed 
an  ample  fortune,  and  a  valuable  library,  and  devoted 
much  of  his  time  to  books.  Mr.  Edwards,  in  speaking  of 
this  eminent  man,  who  was  then  alive,  observes,  "  he 
possesses  three  islands,  and  about  3785  acres  on  the  con- 
tinent, with  slaves  and  stock  in  abundance.  This  (said 
he)  I  mention,  not  to  flatter  my  friend  Pelot,  but  in  hope 
that  his  conduct  may  influence  other  such  planters  to 
preach  the  gospel  among  the  poor  Baptists,  when  God 
inclines  their  hearts  to  it."  Mr.  Pelot  assisted  in  or- 
daining the  late  Drs.  Samuel  Stillman  of  Boston,  and 
Hezekiah  Smith  of  Haverhill,*  and  preached  the  sermons 
on  the  occasions. 

His  successor  was  Rev.  Joseph  Cook.  For  an  inter- 
esting account  of  him,  and  of  his  ministry  at  Ewhaw,  see 
his  biography, 

The  next  in  office  at  Ewhaw,  was  Rev.  now  Dr.  Henry 
Holcombe,  of  Philadelphia.  Dr.  Holcombe  became  the 
pastor  of  this  church  in  1791,  and  served  them  about 
eight  years,  residing  the  first  part  of  the  time  at  Ewhaw, 
and  the  latter  at  Beaufort,  where  a  branch  of  the  church 
lived.  In  1799,  he  removed  to  Savannah,  and  officiated 
as  the  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  that  city,  about 
eleven  years,  and  then  removed  to  his  present  situation. 

Rev.  Joseph  B.  Cook,  son  of  the  late  Joseph  Cook, 
succeeded  Dr.  Holcombe  in  the  pastoral  care  of  the 
church,  over  which  his  venerable  father  formerly  presid- 
ed. Here  he  continued  until  1804,  when  the  Ewhaw 
church  was  divided,  and  the  Beaufort  church  was  formed 
from  it,  with  the  pastoral  care  of  which  Mr.  Cook  was 
immediately  invested.  Thus  the  Ewhaw  church  was  again 
deprived  of  its  pastor,  by  his  removing  to  a  promising  sta- 
tion. Aaron  Tison,  and  then  William  B.Johnson,  now 
pastor  of  the  church  in  Savannah,  each  officiated  at  Ew- 
haw a  while  after  Mr.  Cook's  removal.  For  a  few  years 

*  These  ministers  were  both  oniained  in  S.  C.  one  at  Cliarlaston,  and  the 
ether  at  Pedee. 

VOL.  2.  J7 


130  Tl'elsh'Neck  Church. 

past  this  church  has  been  under  the  care  of  Rev.  James 
Sweat.  Mr.  Sweat  was  baptized  by  Dr.  Holcombe  the 
same  day  he  was  ordained.  His  ministry  at  the  Ewhaw 
has  been  attended  with  great  success.  A  revival  com- 
menced  here  not  long  since,  in  which  a  large  number  were 
hopefully  born  into  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  in  one 
instance  Mr.  Sweat  baptized  seventy  persons  in  a  day. 

WELSH-NECK. 

THIS  church  was  at  first  called  Pedee,  from  the  circum- 
stance of  its  being  situated  on  the  Great  Pedee-river, 
60  miles  north  of  Georgetown  ;  but  when  other  branch- 
es  were  settled  on  the  same  river,  it  became  necessary 
to  give  this  a  more  special  name,  and  accordingly  the 
compound  name  of  Welsh-Neck  was  selected,  which  is  de- 
scriptive of  the  people  who  founded  the  church,  and  of 
its  local  and  peninsulated  situation.  This  church  origi- 
nated in  the  following  manner  :  In  the  year  1737,  the 
following  Baptist  members  of  the  Welsh-Tract  church, 
which  was  then  in  the  province  of  Pennsylvania,  but  now 
in  the  State  of  Delaware,  arrived  here  ;  viz.  James  James, 
Esq.  and  wife,  and  three  sons,  Philip,  who  was  their  min- 
ister, Abel,  Daniel,  and  their  wives ;  Daniel  Devonald 
and  wife,  Thomas  Evans  and  wife,  one  other  of  the  same 
name  and  his  wife  ;  John  Jones  and  wife,  three  of  the 
Harrys,  Thomas,  David,  and  John  and  his  wife  ;  Samuel 
Wilds  and  wife,  Samuel  Evans  and  wife,  Griffith  Jones 
and  wife,  and  David  and  Thomas  Jones  and  their  wives. 
These  thirty  members,  with  their  children  and  house- 
holds, settled  at  a  place  called  Catfish,  on  Pedee-river,  but 
they  soon  removed  about  fifty  miles  higher  up  the  same 
river,  where  they  made  a  permanent  settlement,  and 
where  they  all,  except  James  James,  Esq.  who  died  at 
Catfish,  were  embodied  into  a  church,  Jan,  1738. 

James  James,  Esq.  was  the  most  distinguished  of  this 
company  of  emigrants,  for  he  was  the  head  of  the  party, 
and  his  son  Philip  became  the  pastor  of  the  church.  Of 
him  I  can  learn  no  more,  than  that  he  died  at  Catfish. 
His  son  Philip,  the  first  pastor  of  the  Welsh-Neck  church, 
was  born  near  Pennepeck,  Pennsylvania,  in  1 701 :  he  was 
ordained  over  the  church  in  1743,  by  Messrs.  Charier 
Simmons,  and  died  in  1753. 


Anecdote  cf  Philip  James.  131 

This  venerable  man  passed  through  a  very  singular 
scene  about  three  months  before  his  death  j  the  narra- 
tive is  related  in  full  by  Mr.  Edwards,  but  we  shall  be 
able  to  give   only  the  substance  of  it  here,  which  is  as 
follows  :    He  was  greatly  afflicted  for  the  death  of  a  fa- 
vourite child,  and   bewailed  his  loss  in  the  language  of 
David,  0  Abel,  my  son,  my  son,  would  to  God  I  bad  died  for 
thee,  &f.     In  the  midst  of  his  wailings  he  fell  to  the 
ground  as  if  dead,  and  was  taken  up  and  put  on  the  bed, 
where  he  continued  for  near  an  hour,  without  any  signs 
of  life.     When  he  revived  and  saw  the  people  about  him 
weeping,  he  bid  them  desist,  adding,  "  had  you  seen 
what  I  have  seen,  you  would  not  be  in  trouble  about  the 
dear   little  one."     His   wife  and   the  company   urged 
him  to  tell  what  he  had  seen  concerning  the  child.     He 
was  reluctant  to  it,  but  their  importunity  prevailed,  and 
he  went  on,  "  The  child  now  enjoys  more  happiness  in 
one  moment  than  compensates  for  all  the  miseries  he 
endured  through  life,  and  the  pangs  of  death  also."     He 
then  related  how  he  had  been  transported  by  a  celestial 
conductor  to  the  paradise  of  God,  where  he  was  chided 
for  his  excessive  grief,  and  saw  his  child  in  the  full  stat- 
ure of  a  man,  in  company  with  the  angelick  hosts,  and 
uniting  in  their  songs  of  praise.     At  length  his  conduct- 
or said  to  him,   "  1  am  one  of  that  company,  and  must  join 
them."     Having  said  this,  the  entranced  spirit  began  to 
sink  fast,  and   soon  found  itself  united  with  the  body. 
This  account  is  preserved  by  the  family,  and  is  signed 
by  four  respectable  witnesses.*     After  this  vision,  the 
old  man  minded  no  worldly  thing,  but  was  full  of  heav- 
enly joy,  and  attentive  only  to  spiritual  concerns. 

His  successor,  who  had  been  his  colleague,  was  Rev. 
John  Brown.  He  was  born  near  Burlington,  New- 
Jersey,  in  1714,  but  was  brought  up  at  Frankfort,  near 
Philadelphia.  He  came  to  Pedee  about  the  time  the 
above-mentioned  company  emigrated  hither,  where  he 
was  baptized  and  called  to  the  ministry,  and  where 
he  was  ordained,  May  7, 1 750  j  but  for  some  reasons  he 
continued  not  long  in  the  care  of  the  church.  He 

*  Edwai-ds's  MS.  Hist.  &c.  p.  19. 


132  Pastors  of  Welsh-Neck  Church. 

preached  in  different  places  around,  until  his  death,  and 
for  aught  that  appears,  supported  a  character  becoming 
his  profession. 

The  next  pastor  of  this  church  was  Rev.  Joshua  Ed- 
wards. He  was  born  Feb.  1703,  in  Pembrokeshire, 
South  Wales,  from  which  place  he  emigrated  to  Welsh- 
Tract,  in  Delaware,  where  he  continued  almost  3O  years, 
and  then  removed  to  South-Carolina,  and  had  the  care 
of  this  church  about  six  years.  He  then  removed  to  Cash- 
away  (afterwards  called  Mount  Pleasant)  where  he  was 
invested  with  the  pastoral  office  three  years.  His  next 
remove  was  to  a  church  on  Little  Pedee,  over  which  he 
presided  until  1768.  After  this,  he  did  not  engage  in 
the  pastoral  office  of  any  church,  but  continued  to  preach, 
and  was  useful  till  his  death,  which  happened  Aug.  22, 
1784.  He  lived  to  see  his  posterity,  12  children,  38 
grand-children,  and  32  great-grand-children  ;  82  in  the 
whole.  His  son,  Abel  Edwards,  who  was  long  an  es- 
teemed and  highly  useful  deacon  of  the  Welsh-Neck 
church,  died  in  1793,  aged  54. 

Rev.  Robert  Williams  succeeded  Mr.  Edwards.  He 
was  born  at  Northampton,  North-Carolina,  in  1717, 
and  was  ordained  at  Welsh-Neck  in  1752  ;  but  by  some 
means  he  continued  but  a  short  time  in  the  pastoral  of- 
fice here.  He  died  April  8th,  1 788.  His  funeral  sermon 
was  preached  by  Rev.  Evan  Pugh,  who  gave  him  the 
following  character  :  "  He  was  kind  to  the  poor,  and 
remarkably  so  to  the  afflicted  ;  a  man  of  excellent  natu- 
ral parts,  and  a  minister  who  preached  the  gospel  to  the 
edification  and  comfort  of  souls,  as  many  have  testified 
to  me  ;  and  to  crown  all,  a  sincere  Christian,"  &c.  Hon. 
David  R.  Williams,  of  South-Carolina,  is  grandson  of- 
this  venerable  divine,  and  the  only  son  of  Mr.  David 
Williams,  who  received  a  classical  education,  at  Charles- 
ton, was  a  very  useful  and  amiable  man,  and  died  at  the 
age  of  36,  about  the  year  1 775. 

The  Welsh-Neck  church  had,  for  its  next  pastor,  Rev. 
Nicholas  Bedgegood,  who  was  born  at  Thornbury,  Glou- 
cestershire, England.  Mr.  Bedgegood  received  his  first 
serious  impressions  under  the  ministry  of  the  famous 
George  Whitefield.  He  came  to  America  in  1751,  and 


Nicholas  Bedgegood  disowned  by  the  Association,      133 

was,  for  some  time,  Mr.  Whitefield's  agent  in  the  Or- 
phan House,  for  which  employ  he  was  very  capable,  as 
he  had  received  a  classical  education,  and  had,  in  his 
younger  days,  studied  the  law  three  years,  under  the 
direction  of  an  able  master  at  Bristol.  He  was  brought 
up  an  Episcopalian,  but  embraced  the  sentiments  of  the 
Baptists  a  few  years  after  he  came  to  America,  and  was 
baptized  at  Charleston,  by  Rev.  Oliver  Hart.  The 
means  of  determining  his  suspense  about  the  validity  of 
infant  baptism,  was  a  sermon  of  Dr.  Watts,  intended  to 
establish  the  point.  He  concluded  that  the  Doctor  had 
said  the  best  that  could  be  said  on  the  subject ;  and  if 
so,  he,  saw  that  the  best  only  proves,  that  sprinkling  chil- 
dren is  an  unscriptural  practice.  He  was  ordained  in 
17.59  ;  and  after  officiating  for  a  short  time  as  an  assist- 
ant to  Mr.  Hart  in  Charleston,  he  removed  and  became 
the  pastor  of  this  church  ;  and  it  was  here  that  the  mar- 
riage took  place  for  which  he  was  disowned  by  the  Asso- 
ciation. A  number  of  our  ministering  brethren  from 
England,  and  some  of  distinguished  abilities,  have  acted 
a  similar  part  with  Mr.  Bedgegood,  although  they  have 
rjot  all  shared  the  same  fate.  He  left  a  wife  in  England 
when  he  came  to  America,  and  after  he  had  been  pastor 
of  the  Welsh-Neck  church  a  number  of  years,  he  married 
another,  and  alleged  in  justification  of  his  conduct,  that 
his  first  wife  would  not  come  after  him  to  America,  and 
that  he  had  been  informed  of  her  death  before  his  sec- 
ond marriage.  His  brethren  were  by  no  means  satisfied 
with  this  statement,  but  requested  him  to  attend  the 
Association,  and  give  them  a  more  full  and  satisfactory 
explanation  of  his  conduct.  To  this  summons  he  did 
not  attend,  and  was,  therefore,  disowned.  In  this  situa- 
tion, Mr.  Bedgegood  continued  until  his  death,  which 
happened  about  1774.  He  was  an  accomplished  speaker, 
and  a  sermon  preached  before  a  Society  of  Planters  (the 
only  one  he  ever  published)  shows  him  to  have  been  a, 
man  of  classick  learning  and  of  "good  understanding. 
Notwithstanding  his  being  disowned  by  the  Associa- 
tion, I  do  not  find  but  that  he  had  the  care  of  this  church 
until  his  death. 

Mr.  Bedgegood  was  succeeded  in  the  pastoral  office 
by  the  famous  Elhanan  Winthester,  who  afterwards  be- 


1 34-  Charleston  Association  firmed. 

came  a  zealous  advocate  for  the  doctrine  of  universal 
restoration.  He  continued  in  the  care  of  this  church 
four  or  five  years.  Next  to  him  was  Mr.  Botsford,  now 
of  Georgetown,  South-Carolina.  After  Mr.  Botsford's 
removal,  this  church  had  in  succession  David  Lilly, 
Frame  Woods,  and  Daniel  White.  Mr.  White  is  from 
Scotland,  but  has  lately  left  this  church,  and  it  is  now 
destitute  of  a  pastor. 

The  Welsh-Neck  church  is  the  oldest  in  this  part  of 
the  State,  and  has  been  the  mother  of  a  number  of  others. 
Cashaway,  now  called  Mount  Pleasant,  Cape-Fear  in 
North-Carolina,  Lynch's  Creek,  Mars  Bluff,  and  Cheraw 
Hill,  and  probably  some  others  originated  from  it.  Some 
of  these  churches  are  now  extinct.  The  late  Dr.  Smith, 
of  Haverhill,  Massachusetts,  spent  a  year  with  the  church 
which  was  then  called  Cashaway. 

Having  related  the  history  of  these  old  churches,  of 
which  the  Charleston  Association  was  at  first  composed, 
we  shall  now  go  back  to  the  organization  of  that  body, 
and  give  a  history  of  its  progress  from  its  first  formation 
to  the  present  time. 

Mr.  Wood  Furman,  of  Charleston,  South- Carolina, 
son  of  Dr.  Furman,  has  lately  published,  in  a  very  hand- 
some  style,  a  12mo.  vol.  entitled,  "A  History  of  the 
Charleston  Association,"  from  which  many  of  the  fore- 
going  articles  have  been  selected,  and  from  which  the 
following  narrative  is  transcribed. 

Mr.  Hart,  who  was  now  the  pastor  of  the  church  in 
Charleston,  had  seen,  in  the  Philadelphia  Association,  the 
happy  consequences  of  union  and  stated  intercourse 
umong  churches  maintaining  the  same  faith  and  order. 
To  accomplish  similar  purposes,  an  union  of  the  four 
churches  before  mentioned  was  contemplated  and  agreed 
on.v/Accordingly  on  the  21st  of  October,  1 751,  delegates 
from  Ashley-river  and  Welsh-Neck  met  those  of  Charles- 
ton in  the  said  city.  The  messengers  from  Ewhaw 
were  prevented  from  attending.  It  was  agreed  that  an 
annual  meeting  should  thenceforward  be  holden  on  Sat- 
urday preceding  the  second  Sabbath  of  November,  to 
consist  of  the  ministers  and  messengers  of  the  several 
churches ;  that  the  two  first  days  should  be  employed  in 
publick  worship,  and  a  sermon  introductory  to  business 
preached  on  the  Monday  following,  at  10  o'clock. 


John  Gam  -performs  a  successful  Miss  si  on.        135 

The  object  of  the  union  was  declared  to  be  the  pro- 
motion of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom,  by  the  maintenance 
of  love  and  fellowship,  and  by  mutual  consultations  for 
the  peace  and  welfare  of  the  churches.  The  independ- 
ency of  the  churches  was  asserted,  and  the  powers  of 
the  Association  restricted  to  a  council  of  advice.  It 
was  agreed  to  meet  again  in  Charleston,  November,  175^. 
At  that  time  the  delegates  from  Ewhaw  attended,  and 
the  proceedings  of  the  first  meeting  were  ratified.  The 
instrument  of  union  bears  the  following  signatures  :  John 
Stephens,  Oliver  Hart,  Francis  Pelot,  John  Brown,  Josh- 
ua Edwards,  ministers  ;  James  Fowler,  William  Screven, 
Richard  Bedon,  Charles  Barker,  Benjamin  Parminter, 
Thomas  Harrison,  Philip  Douglas,  and  John  Mikell, 
messengers. 

The  Association  thus  formed,  held  its  meetings  for 
a  number  of  years  at  the  place  of  its  organization,  and 
hence  took  the  name  of  the  "  Charleston  Association." 

In  1 755,  the  Association,  taking  into  consideration  the 
destitute  condition  of  many  places  in  the  interiour  settle* 
ments  of  this  and  the  neighbouring  States,  (then  prov- 
inces) recommended  to  the  churches  to  make  contribu- 
tions for  the  support  of  a  missionary  to  itinerate  in  those 
parts.  Mr.  Hart  was  authorized  and  requested,  provided 
a  sufficient  sum  should  be  raised,  to  procure,  if  possible, 
a  suitable  person  for  the  purpose.  With  this  view  he 
visited  Pennsylvania  and  New- Jersey  in  the  following 
year,  and  prevailed  with  Rev.  John  Gano  to  undertake 
the  service,  who  attended  the  annual  meeting,  and  was 
cordially  received.  The  Association  requested  Mr.  Gano 
to  visit  the  Yadkin  settlement  in  North-Carolina  first, 
and  afterwards  to  bestow  his  labours  wherever  Provi- 
dence should  appear  to  direct.  He  devoted  himself  to 
the  work :  it  afforded  ample  scope  for  his  distinguished 
piety,  eloquence  and  fortitude  ;  and  his  ministrations 
were  crowned  with  remarkable  success.  Many  embraced 
and  professed  the  gospel.  The  following  year  he  receiv- 
ed from  the  Association  a  letter  of  thanks  for  his  faith- 
fulness and  industry  in  the  mission.  At  the  same  time, 
the  expediency  of  raising  a  fund  to  furnish  suitable  can- 
didates for  the  ministry  with  a  competent  share  of  learn- 
ing, was  taken  into  consideration  ;  and  it  was  recom- 


136  Fund  instituted  for  Education. 

mended  to  the  churches  generally  to  collect  money  foi 
the  purpose.  The  members  present  engaged,  in  behalf 
of  their  constituents,  to  furnish  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
three  pounds  to  begin  the  fund  ;  and  Messrs.  Stephens, 
Hart,  and  Pelot  were  chosen  trustees.  In  1759,  Mr. 
Evan  Pugh  was  proposed  by  Mr.  Gano  as  a  candidate 
for  the  ministry.  He  was  examined,  approved,  and  put 
on  a  course  of  studies.  Having  gone  through  them,  he 
preached  before  the  Association  in  1 762  with  acceptance, 
and  was  soon  after  ordained. 

The  general  contribution  from  the  churches  was  not 
so  great  as  was  wished.  But  a  society  instituted  in 
Charleston  in  1755,  which  was  called  the  "  Religious 
Society,"  and  flourished  many  years,  was  highly  useful 
in  aiding  the  Association  in  its  benevolent  design.  Sev- 
eral young  men  were  furnished  by  it  with  the  means  of 
pursuing  studies  preparatory  to  the  ministry.  Of  this 
number  were  Messrs.  Samuel  Stillman  and  Edmund 
Botsford,  both  from  the  church  in  Charleston.  The 
former  was  ordained  there  February  26,  1759,  and  in 
1807  finished  at  Boston  a  long  life,  distinguished  by  fer- 
vent piety,  shining  talents,  and  eminent  usefulness.  The 
latter  survives  as  the  venerable  pastor  of  the  church  at 
Georgetown. 

In  1763,  Rev.  Hezekiah  Smith,  from  New- Jersey,  was 
ordained  at  Pedee  by  the  assistance  of  several  ministers 
of  this  body,  and  resided  there  a  year,  supplying  the 
Cashaway  church,  and  visiting  those  adjacent. 

In  1767,  the  Association  having  previously  called  the 
serious  attention  of  the  churches  to  the  subject,  formally 
adopted  the  confession  of  faith,  published  by  the  London 
Assembly  of  1689.  This  had  been  previously  held  by 
the  churches  in  their  individual  capacities,  particularly 
that  of  Charleston,  from  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  The  church  at  Ashley-river  adopted  it  March 
18,  1737.  Messrs.  Hart  and  Pelot  were  appointed  to 
draw  up  a  system  of  discipline  agreeable  to  Scripture,  to 
be  used  by  the  churches.  This  they  brought  forward 
in  1772,  and  Rev.  Morgan  Edwards  and  Mr.  David  Wil- 
liams were  requested  to  assist  the  compilers  in  revising  it. 
In  1773,  it  was  examined  by  the  Association,  and  adopt- 
ed. That  and  the  confession  of  faith  were  printed  under 
the  inspection  of  Mr.  Hart. 


Separate  Baptists  send  Delegates  to  Association.         1 3t 

Several  churches  in  North-Carolina  having  joined  the 
Association  in  1758,  it  was  determined,  for  their  accom- 
modation, that  an  annual  meeting  of  ministers,  belong- 
ing to  this  body,  should  be  holden  at  Pedee  in  the  spring  ; 
the  object  of  which,  besides  preaching,  was  to  consider  of 
the  general  concerns,  and  particularly  of  those  in  North- 
Carolina  ;  their  proceedings,  however,  subject  to  revision 
by  the  more  general  delegation  at  Charleston.  In  1760, 
five  other  churches  in  North-Carolina,  viz.  Great  Ko- 
harah,  Fishing-creek,  Tosniot,  and  two  on  Tar-river, 
joined  the  confederacy,  but  soon  withdrew. 
-  Several  churches  of  the  Separate  Baptists  were  form- 
ed in  the  new  settlements  of  South-Carolina  about  176O. 
One  of  them  situated  on  Broad-river,  sent  a  letter  by 
their  minister,  Philip  Mulkey,  to  the  Association,  in  1 762, 
stating  several  queries,  which  Mr.  Hart  was  appointed 
to  answer.  An  union  with  this  people  was  thought  de- 
sirable, and  Messrs.  Hart  and  Pugh  were  delegated  to 
attend  one  of  their  general  meetings  in  North-Carolina, 
and  endeavour  to  effect  it.  In  1773,  Rev.  Daniel  Mar- 
shall, Joseph  Reese,  and  Samuel  Newton,  commissioners 
appointed  by  a  general  meeting  of  the  Separates  held  at 
the  Congaree,  attended  at  Charleston  for  the  same  pur- 
pose. The  Association  testified  their  desire  of  union  by 
proposing  liberal  terms,  which  allowed  their  brethren 
the  observance  of  their  peculiarities,  reserving  to  them- 
selves the  right  of  friendly  discussion  on  the  points  of  dif- 
ference. But  the  Separates  would  be  satisfied  with  noth- 
ing short  of  the  Regulars  coming  fully  into  their  views* 
So  the  desirable  object  was  not  then  accomplished. 

In  1772,  a  correspondence  was  begun  with  the  Phila- 
delphia Association,  by  means  of  the  Rev.  Morgan  Ed- 
wards, one  of  their  ministers,  who  was  present. 

In  1773,  the  first  regular  and  full  account  of  additions 
and  other  alterations  in  the  churches  was  taken.  Their 
number  of  churches  was  then  reduced  to  8,  which  con- 
tained 390  members.  Mr.  Gano  attended  as  messenger 
from  the  Philadelphia  Association  in  1774.  He  and 
Messrs.  Hart  and  Pelot,  by  appointment  of  the  Charleston 
Association,  addressed  the  Baptist  Associations  through- 
out America,  in  favour  of  a  plan  of  contribution,  for  aug- 
menting the  funds  of  Rhode-Island  College.  Messrs. 

VOL.  2.  18 


138  Particular  Days  set  apart  for  Prayer. 

Hart  and  Williams  were  nominated  to  receive  contribu- 
tions for  that  institution,  and  to  transmit  the  same  to 
Col.  Job  Bennet,  in  Newport.  In  1775,  a  correspond- 
ence was  begun  with  the  Warren  and  Ketockton  Asso- 
ciations. The  churches  were  urged  to  contribute  for  the 
relief  of  their  brethren  in  Massachussetts,  suffering  from 
restrictions  on  their  religious  liberties ;  and  the  money 
which  should  be  raised,  was  directed  to  be  sent  to  the 
care  of  Rev.  Isaac  Backus. 

There  was  no  meeting  in  1776,  on  account  of  the  un- 
settled state  of  the  country,  threatened  with  invasion. 
From  the  first  formation  of  the  Association,  particular 
days  had  been  frequently  set  apart  for  humiliation  and 
prayer,  or  for  thank-giving  and  praise.  In  1777,  four 
were  appointed  for  these  purposes,  both  on  account  of 
the  situation  of  publick  affairs,  and  the  state  of  religion. 
At  the  same  time  the  Association  expressed  their  hear- 
ty approbation  of  the  American  measures.  In  1778, 
the  time  of  meeting,  which  ten  years  before  had  been 
changed  to  February,  was  restored  to  the  original  season. 

For  a  number  of  years  after  the  Association  began, 
religion  flourished  among  the  churches  in  a  remarkable 
manner.  Much  happiness  and  harmony  prevailed,  and 
annual  additions  were  made.  But  in  1765,  and  some 
following  years,  a  great  declension  was  complained  of. 
Not  long  after,  several  unhappy  circumstances  took 
place,  which  pained  the  real  friends  of  Christianity. 
Two  ministers,  Stephens*  and  Bedgegood,f  who  had 
been  in  high  repute,  were  disowned  ;  the  first  for  drunk- 
enness, the  last  for  polygamy.  About  1777,  a  revival 
commenced,  several  new  churches  joined  the  union,  and 
considerable  additions  were  made  by  baptism. 

In  /1 779,  a  standing  committee  was  chosen  to  transact 
business  of  emergency  during  the  recess  of  the  Associa- 
tion ;  particularly  to  treat  with  government  on  behalf 
of  the  churches ;  to  correspond  with  other  Associations  ; 
to  detect  impostors,  and  recommend  travelling  ministers 
of  good  character.  Messrs.  Hart,  Pugh,  Botsford,  Fur- 

*  Mr.  Stephens  professed  and  was  believed  to  be  penitent  before  his  death, 
and  was  admitted  again  to  preach. 

t  See  his  biography  in  the  history  of  the  Welsh-Neck  church. 


Churches  scattered  in  consequence  of  the  War.         1 39 

man,  and  Cowan,  were  the  committee  nominated.  By 
the  State  Constitution  established  in  South-Carolina, 
during  the  revolution,  the  different  denominations  were 
put  on  a  footing,  and  incorporation  was  allowed  to  in- 
dividual churches,  on  application  to  the  Legislature. 
The  Association  advised  those  in  its  connexion  to  avail 
themselves  of  this  privilege,  which  gave  them  the  legal 
right  of  holding  and  recovering  property.  Several  ac- 
cordingly made  application,  and  obtained  it. 

South-Carolina  soon  becoming  the  theatre  of  war, 
churches  were  scattered,  and  their  intercourse  suspended. 
Several  ministers,  who  had  been  the  active  friends  of  the 
revolution,  retired  for  safety  to  neighbouring  or  distant 
States.  Mr.  Hart,  who  had  acted  so  conspicuous  and  im- 
portant a  part  in  the  concerns  of  this  body,  removed  with 
his  family  to  New- Jersey. 

In  1782,  a  meeting  of  the  Association  was  held  at 
Welsh-Neck.  Ministers  were  appointed  to  visit  destitute 
churches.  The  7th  of  November  was  set  apart  as  a  day 
of  thanksgiving,  for  the  interpositions  of  Providence  in 
favour  of  America. 

In  1783,  the  standing  committee  was  revived,  consist- 
ing of  Messrs.  Pugh,  Botsford,  and  Furman.  Three  years 
after,  the  same  nomination  took  place,  with  the  addition 
of  Messrs.  Cook,  Lewis,  and  Holcombe.  A  faithful  and 
useful  minister,  Rev.  Timothy  Dargan,  having  died  in 
this  year,  the  Association  declared  their  "  high  sense  of 
the  worth  of  that  eminent  servant  of  Christ,  and  their 
concern  to  have  the  memory  of  his  amiable  life  and  vir- 
tues perpetuated." 

In  1785,  Rev.  Silas  Mercer  and  Peter  Smith  appeared 
as  messengers  from  the  Georgia  Association,  lately  form- 
ed, and  were  cordially  received.  A  correspondence  with 
this  Association  was  introduced. 

In  1786,  Rev.  Joseph  Cook  was  desired  to  open  a  cor- 
respondence with  the  Kent  and  Sussex  Association,  in 
England,  on  behalf  of  this  body.  The  Circular  Address 
of  this  year  contains  the  following  exhortations  :  "  It  is 
our  ardent  desire  that  the  members  of  our  churches  be 
well  established  in  the  evidence  as  well  as  the  necessity 
and  importance  of  Christianity  ;  and  that  the  reasona- 
bleness and  consistency  of  its  particular  doctrines  be  well 


14O         Education  in  the  Gospel  Ministry  recommended. 

understood.  We  recommend,  therefore,  that  a  thirst 
for  divine  knowledge,  together  with  a  laudable  desire  to 
excel  in  every  grace  and  virtue,  be  entertained  in  all  your 
breasts.  Pay  particular  attention  to  the  education  of 
your  children  with  this  view  ;  and  where  it  has  pleased 
God  to  call  any  of  his  young  servants  to  the  work  of  the 
ministry,  let  the  churches  be  careful  to  introduce  them 
in  the  line  of  study  and  improvement  ;  and  make  suitable 
exertions  to  furnish  them  with  the  necessary  means  for 
this  end.  We  have  for  several  years  given  intimation 
of  our  concern,  that  the  representation  of  churches  in 
Association  has  not  been  better  supported,  and  we  are 
sorry  to  observe,  that  this  has  not  had  the  desired  effect. 
Permit  us  now  to  entreat  you  by  all  the  arguments  which 
arise  from  the  love  of  Christ,  and  that  dear  uniting  af- 
fection, by  which  his  saints  are  bound  together  ;  by  the 
support,  honour,  and  advantage  which  the  church  en- 
joys  from  a  due  regard  to  the  interests  of  her  union,  and 
the  tendency  it  has  to  promote  the  divine  honour  ;  that 
it  may  be  attended  to,  not  as  a  matter  depending  on 
convenience,  but  as  of  sacred  and  religious  regard.  Let 
each  church  extend  its  views  beyond  its  own  particular 
interests,  to  the  happiness  of  churches  abroad,  and  the 
general  spread  of  the  gospel ;  and  it  will  be  impossible 
to  indulge  a  backwardness  therein."  In  the  same  letter 
they  express  their  joy  at  the  introduction  of  several  prom- 
ising young  men  into  the  ministry,  and  at  the  success  of 
the  gospel  in  Great-Britain,  and  in  different  parts  of 
America.  The  expediency  of  applying  for  incorporation 
was  considered  and  agreed  on.  In  1787,  a.  covenant 
with  this  view  was  drawn  up  and  signed,  and  a 
committee  appointed  to  petition  the  Legislature.  A 
meeting  sufficiently  numerous  was,  however,  not  ob- 
tained during  the  recess  ;  and  at  the  next  annual  meet- 
ing, some  members  doubting  the  propriety  of  the  meas- 
ure, it  was  relinquished.  A  few  years  after,  the  object 
was  obtained  in  a  different  form,  and  to  general  satis- 
faction. 

In  1789,  the  Bethel  Association,  newly  formed  in  the 
northwestern  parts  of  the  State,  and  consisting  of  16 
churches,  was  represented  by  the  Rev.  James  Fowler, 


A  Fund  for  that  Purpose  proposed.  ]  41 

A  correspondence  was  commenced,  and  in  consequence 
of  a  motion  to  that  effect,  made  by  Mr.  Fowler,  a  pro- 
posal was  made  from  the  Charleston  Association  to  unite 
the  two  bodies  ;  but  on  account  of  some  inconveniences, 
apprehended  by  the  Bethel,  it  failed  of  accomplishment. 
Letters  and  breviates  of  English  Associations  were  re- 
ceived, and  distributed  to  the  churches,  and  recommend- 
ed to  their  perusal. 

The  object  of  having  a  respectable  and  permanent 
fund  established  for  the  education  of  pious  young  men, 
candidates  for  the  ministry,  having  been  seriously  con- 
templated and  earnestly  wished  by  several  members  of 
the  Association,  it  was  this  year  taken  up,  and  particu- 
larly recommended  to  the  churches.  At  the  following 
meeting  a  draft  of  a  plan  for  the  purpose  was  brought 
forward  by  a  committee,  consisting  of  Messrs.  Furman, 
S.  Mercer,  Mosely,  and  Holcombe,  and  adopted  by  the 
Association.  By  this  it  was  proposed,  That  a  sermon 
should  be  preached  annually  in  each  church,  followed 
by  a  collection.  2d.  That  delegates,  one  from  each 
church,  should  meet  at  the  same  time  and  place  with 
the  Association,  whose  business  it  should  be  to  examine 
candidates  for  the  assistance  of  the  churches,  and  to  make 
application  of  the  fund.  The  Circular  Letter,  drawn  up 
by  Mr.  Holcombe,  urges  the  hearty  adoption  of  this  plan. 
After  recounting  the  disadvantages  the  Baptist  denomi- 
nation had  sustained  in  various  parts  of  the  world,  but 
especially  in  the  interiour  parts  of  America,  from  the  neg- 
lect of  learning,  it  proceeds — "  We  hope,  therefore, 
brethren,  that  the  consideration  of  diffusing  useful 
knowledge,  of  capacitating  your  ministers  to  acquit 
themselves  with  propriety  and  dignity  in  the  important 
duties  of  their  functions  ;  of  adorning  the  Christian  pro- 
fession, increasing  the  respectability  of  our  order,  and 
above  all,  glorifying  our  Royal  Master,  will  engage  you 
to  make  the  necessary  exertions  for  completing  the  pro- 
posed design,  so  manifestly  tending  to  answer  such  truly 
laudable  purposes.  The  laws  of  reason  and  religion  re- 
quire it  at  your  hands.  We  not  only  see,  but  feel  the 
necessity  of  it,  and  beseech  you,  by  your  obligations  to 
promote  the  Redeemer's  honour,  and  your  tender  regards 


1 4-2  Day  of  Fasting  and  Prayer  appointed. 

for  the  prosperity  of  Zion,  to  make  it  a  matter  of  serious 
and  religious  concern."* 

In  this  year  died  Rev.  Joseph  Cook  ;  and  the  Associ- 
ation paid  a  tribute  of  affection  and  regard  to  his  mem- 
ory, as  "  a  faithful  servant  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  an  able 
minister  of  the  New  Testament." 

In  i7^1,  Mr.  Furman  having,  at  the  request  of  the 
Association,  published  his  sermon  preached  before  them 
in  178'J,  presented  them  with  fifty  copies  of  the  same, 
and  received  the  thanks  of  the  body.  The  committee 
for  the  Education  Fund  reported,  "  That  they  had  a 
system  of  rules  under  consideration,  though  not  fully 
matured  ;  that  they  had  agreed,  when  the  rules  were 
completed,  to  apply  to  the  Legislature  for  incorporation  ; 
and  that  they  conceived  it  might  be  proper  to  invest  the 
committee  with  power  to  recover  and  take  into  their 
possession  any  glebes  or  other  property  belonging  to 
churches  in  this  connexion,  which  either  are  or  may 
become  extinct,  when  liable  to  revert  to  the  public,  or 
become  private  property,  and  apply  the  same  to  the  in- 
terests of  the  union."  The  Association,  after  receiving 

•  O 

and  considering  this  report,  unanimously  approved  the 
plan  of  enlarging  the  powers  of  the  committee,  and  of 
its  obtaining  incorporation.  They  further  agreed  that 
due  care  ought  to  be  taken,  that  the  business  and  powers 
of  the  committee  be  fully  defined,  and  that  they  might 
not  interfere  with  the  rights  and  privileges  of  the  churches 
as  independent  bodies,  in  things  either  spiritual  or  tem- 
poral. 

In  1793,  the  attention  of  the  churches  was  called  to 
"  the  threatening  and  warning  dispensations  of  Provi- 
dence, and  the  declension  of  religion ;"  and  the  third  Wed- 
nesday of  December  was  appointed  as  a  day  of  solemn 
fasting  and  prayer,  to  implore  the  mercy  of  God  on  the 
churches  and  the  country  at  large  ;  to  pray  for  the  peace 
and  prosperity  of  the  United  States  ;  for  a  general  refor- 

*  Though  the  plan  for  raising  and  supporting  a  fund  for  the  purposes  men- 
tioned, was  adopted  unanimously  by  the  delegates  assembled,  it  met  with  op- 
position in  several  of  the  churches,  so  that,  at  subsequent  meetings  of  the  As- 
sociation, objections  were  raised  against  it,  which,  though  answered  and  gen- 
f  rallv  given  up  in  that  body,  b\  those  who  proposed  them,  appeared  to  be  re- 
tained by  the  dissatisfied  churches ;  as  the}-  either  withheld  their  aid  altogether, 
or  contributed  very  partially  toward  the  fund. 


General  Concert  of  Prayer  repeatedly  recommended.       143 

mation  among  the  people,  and  for  the  direction  and  pres- 
ervation of  the  government  ;  also,  for  a  sanctified  use  of 
the  afflicting  dispensations  of  Providence,  particularly 
that  by  which  Philadelphia  had  been  recently  visited.* 
Contributions  had  been  made  for  reprinting  the  Con- 
fession of  Faith,  Church  Discipline,  and  Catechism  ;  but 
not  being  fully  adequate  to  the  object,  Mr.  Furman 
was  requested  to  have  the  Discipline  put  to  the  press 
immediately,  and  to  import  the  rest.  Accordingly  ICOO 
copies  of  the  Catechism,  and  200  of  the  Confession  of 
Faith  were  imported,  and  2000  of  the  Discipline  printed. 
In  J  794,  to  accommodate  some  of  the  southern  churches, 
it  was  proposed  to  have  two  meetings  in  a  year  ;  and  one 
by  way  of  experiment  was  appointed  to  be  hoiden  the 
ensuing  May  at  Ewhaw.  Delegates  from  Charleston, 
Ewhaw,  Coosawhatchie,  Pipe- Creek,  and  Black  Swamp, 
attended.  They  concluded  that  the  plan  of  holding  two 
meetings  in  the  year  was  impracticable,  and  recommend- 
ed instead  of  it,  that  the  annual  meeting  should  be  held 
in  the  northern  and  southern  parts  alternately.  This  rec- 
ommendation was  afterwards  complied  with.  They  al- 
so took  into  consideration  the  General  Concert  of  Prayer, 
proposed  to  be  hoiden  on  the  first  Tuesday  of  January, 
April,  July,  and  October  ;  the  object  of  it  being  to  unite 
with  a  number  of  good  men  of  different  denominations, 
at  home  and  abroad,  for  "  the  revival  of  religion  among 
Christians ;  the  propagation  and  success  of  the  gospel 
among  the  heathen,  and  the  conversion  of  the  Jews  to 
Christianity."  The  observance  of  this  Concert  was 
earnestly  recommended,  and  the  recommendation  re- 
newed from  year  to  year.  The  Circular  Letter  of  1795 
contains  the  following  admonitions  :  "  The  situation  of 
the  church  calls  for  deep  humiliation  before  God,  serious 
concern  respecting  the  state  of  our  souls,  vigorous  exer- 
tions in  the  cause  of  God,  and  diligent  use  of  the  appoint- 
ed means  of  grace.  In  vain  do  we  acknowledge  our 
imperfections,  or  professedly  lament  our  leanness,  if  our 
hearts  are  not  affected.  And  what  blessings  can  we 
reasonably  expect,  while  the  rational  and  most  proper 
means,  which  God  has  put  within  our  power,  and  to 

*  In  this  year  this  city  was  first  visited  with  the  yellow  fever. 


144  Admonitions  of  a  Circular  Letter. 

which  his  word  directs,  are  neglected  ?  Permit  us,  dear 
brethren,  to  suggest  our  fears,  that  the  duties  of  the 
closet  and  the  discipline  of  the  heart,  are  awfully  neg- 
lected in  the  present  day.  We  fear  the  views  of  even 
those  who  have  made  the  most  serious  profession,  are 
too  much  limited  to  the  present  life.  Have  we  not  al- 
most forgot  to  consider  ourselves  as  strangers  and  pil- 
grims on  the  earth  ?  Is  not  the  spirit  of  ambition, 
pride,  and  covetousness  prevalent  to  a  high  degree  ? 
Who  are  they  that  feel  anxiously  concerned  for  the 
things  which  are  Jesus  Christ's  ?  Who  burn  with  zeal 
for  the  honour  of  Jehovah  ;  mourn  for  the  abomina- 
tions of  the  land  ;  and  feel  bowels  of  compassion  for 
perishing  and  immortal  souls  ?  Has  not  the  gracious 
and  holy  Spirit  of  God,  the  Comforter,  been  grieved  by 
our  untender  walk,  by  our  unbelief,  ingratitude,  for- 
mality, and  neglect  or  abuse  of  our  privileges  ?  Have 
not  the  solemn  meetings  for  prayer,  repeatedly  recom- 
mended, been  either  shamefully  neglected,  or  attended 
with  a  coldness  and  indifference  unbecoming  those  who 
profess  to  know  Jesus  Christ,  or  to  believe  the  awful 
realities  of  eternity  ?  Rouse,  brethren,  from  your  leth- 
argy ;  reason,  interest,  obligation  call ;  judgments  threat- 
en ;  mercies  invite  ;  all  that  is  sacred  to  the  heart  of  a 
rational  immortal  creature,  requires  your  activity,  se- 
riousness, and  diligence,  in  the  cause  of  your  God  and 
Redeemer.  Render  to  Jehovah  his  unquestionable  and 
too  long  detained  due,  and  prove  him  herewith,  if  he 
will  not  pour  you  out  a  blessing,  that  there  even  shall  not 
be  room  sufficient  to  receive  it.'* 

In  1797,  a  letter  was  received  from  Mr.  John  M.  Rob- 
erts, expressing  gratitude  for  the  assistance  afforded  him 
in  obtaining  education  for  the  ministry  ;  and  his  "  firm 
determination  to  use  his  best  exertions  to  obtain  every 
suitable  qualification,  and  to  devote  himself  to  the  great 
work  ;"  which  gave  much  satisfaction. 

Rev.  Gabriel  Gerald,  a  member  of  the  church  at  the 
High-Hills  of  Santee,  having  advanced  sentiments  subver- 
sive of  the  Christian  Sabbath,  and  a  difficulty  existing  be- 
tween him  and  the  church  in  consequence  of  the  same, 
the  Association  was  applied  to.  Mr.  Gerald  then  publish- 
ed a  pamphlet  in  defence  of  his  opinions  and  practice.  At 


Mr.  Gerald  cemured.  1 45 

the  request  of  the  Association,  a  letter  was  written  in  an- 
swer to  his  publication,  with  a  view  to  convince  him  of 
the  obligation  to  observe  the  Sabbath,  and  to  reclaim 
him  from  what  appeared  a  dangerous  error ;  but  it  proved 
ineffectual.  The  church  put  Mr.  Gerald  under  censure, 
and  he  appealed  to  the  Association,  complaining  of  un- 
fair treatment.  A  letter  was  also  received  from  the 
church,  requesting  assistance.  Messrs.  Furman,  Bots- 
ford,  and  Fowler,  were  appointed  a  committee  on  behalf 
of  the  Association,  to  meet  both  parties.  Next  year  the 
committee  reported,  that  according  to  their  judgment, 
some  of  the  church's  proceedings  had  been  irregular  ;  but 
that  they  had  just  cause  of  dissatisfaction  with  Mr.  Ge- 
rald, both  on  account  of  his  principle  and  conduct ;  that 
a  liberal  plan  of  reconciliation,  proposed  by  the  commit- 
tee, had  been  rejected  by  him,  and  that  he  persisted  in 
the  sentiment  and  conduct  he  had  defended  from  the 
pulpit  and  the  press.  He  died  soon  after,  without  having 
recanted  his  sentiments. 

In  1 800,  the  proposition  of  the  Philadelphia  Associa- 
tion, to  establish  a  general  conference  of  the  Baptist  As- 
sociations throughout  the  United  States,  was  taken  into 
consideration,  and  it  was  voted,  that  "  if  a  well-digested 
plan  should  be  devised  for  such  a  coalition,  in  which  the 
proper  objects  were  clearly  pointed  out,  with  suitable 
measures  to  attain  them,  and  the  danger  of  perversion 
and  abuse  well  guarded  against,  and  if  a  general  concur- 
rence in  the  undertaking  should  be  obtained  of  the 
churches  in  the  United  States,  this  Association  are  dis- 
posed to  give  it  their  support."  In  the  same  year, 
the  Association  recommended  to  churches  destitute  of 
pastors,  to  endeavour  to  support  publick  worship  by  en- 
gaging some  of  their  members  to  read  sermons,  and  take 
a  lead  in  prayer. 

In  1801,  they  petitioned  the  Legislature  for  an  amend- 
ment of  the  law,  passed  the  preceding  year,  imposing 
restrictions  on  religious  meetings,  so  far  as  respects  per- 
sons of  colour.  The  petition  was  renewed  the  next 
year,  and  attended  with  a  degree  of  success.  The  thanks 
of  the  Association,  were  returned  to  General  Charles 
Cotesworth  Pinckney,  Major  Thomas  Pinckney,  and 

VOL.  2.  J9 


1 46         John  Rooker1  s  Mission  to  the  Catawba  Indians. 

Henry  William  Desaussure,  Esq.  for  their  patriotick  ex- 
ertions in  its  behalf. 

In  1802,  provision  was  made  for  the  employment  of  a 
missionary  to  travel  and  preach  in  destitute  places.  The 
object  failed  of  accomplishment  for  the  want  of  a  suita- 
ble person  to  undertake  it.  A  mission,  however,  to  the 
Catawba  Indians,  which  had  for  some  time  been  contem- 
plated, was  now  commenced.  Rev.  John  Rooker  was 
engaged  for  a  year  to  preach  to  them,  at  least  once  a 
month,  and  to  consult  the  chiefs  and  other  persons  of 
influence,  on  their  disposition  to  have  a  school  founded 
among  them.  Mr.  Rooker  at  the  next  meeting  reported, 
that  "  the  Indians  had  given  him  a  very  favourable  recep- 
tion ;  were  much  pleased  with  the  attention  the  Associa- 
tion had  shown  by  appointing  a  missionary  to  them  ;  had 
attended  very  seriously  to  his  preaching,  and  from  the 
first  expressed  an  earnest  desire  that  a  school  might  be 
established  among  them  for  the  instruction  of  their 
youth :  also,  that  there  appeared  the  beginning  of  a  work 
of  grace  among  the  white  people,  who  attended  on  his 
preaching  when  ministering  to  the  Indians  ;  and  that  he 
was  in  hopes  the  Indians  would  share  in  the  blessing." 
It  was,  in  consequence,  determined  to  continue  the  mis- 
sion, and  Mr.  Rooker  was  authorized  to  employ  a  teacher 
to  instruct  the  youth  in  the  common  branches  of  educa- 
tion, and  the  principles  of  Christianity.  A  school  was 
accordingly  established,  and  has  been  continued.  Sam- 
ples of  writing  done  by  the  Indian  youth,  have  been 
exhibited  from  year  to  year,  evincing  considerable  pro- 
ficiency. Letters  also  have  been  repeatedly  received  from 
the  chiefs  of  the  nation,  requesting  a  continuance  of  the 
mission  and  school.  At  the  meeting  of  1806,  Robert 
Marsh,  an  Indian  of  the  Pomunky  tribe,  living  with  the 
Catawbas,  and  a  licensed  preacher,  was  present,  and 
preached  with  acceptance  to  a  large  and  affected  audience. 

Dr.  Ramsay,  in  his  history  of  South-Carolina,  lately 
published,  hath  in  a  note  inserted  the  following  obser- 
vations on  this  subject :  "  It  is  truly  honourable  to  the 
Baptists,  that  they  have  done  so  much  for  the  instruc- 
tion of  the  Indians  ;  and  it  is  lamentable  that  the  State 
lias  done  so  little.  The  Catawba  Indians  have,  for  a  long 
time,  been  friendly,  and  have  lived  among,  or  rather 


Dr.  Rams  ay1  s  Plea  for  the  Indians.  147 

been  surrounded  by  white  people,  and  yet  no  one  effort 
has  been  made  by  the  State  for  the  civilization  and  in- 
struction of  this  tribe,  nor  of  any  of  the  Indians.  A 
century  and  half  has  not  passed  away,  since  this  people 
were  the  sole  possessors  of  the  whole  of.  this  extensive 
and  beautiful  country ;  but  these  former  lords  of  the 
soil  have  been  driven  from  river  to  river — from  forest 
to  forest — rolled  back  nation  upon  nation,  till  they  are 
fugitives,  vagrants,  and  strangers  in  their  own  land. 
Carolinians !  cherish  the  few  that  remain,  and  prevent 
their  cursing  the  day  that  white  men  landed  in  the 
country  of  their  forefathers."* 

In  1 803,  Dr.  Furman,  Mr.  Botsford,  and  Mr.  Roberts, 
were  appointed  a  committee  of  correspondence,  and  in 
particular  to  correspond  with  the  committee  of  the  Phil- 
adelphia Association,  to  aid  their  design  of  publishing 
general  religious  information. 

This  year  died  the  Rev.  Evan  Pugh  ;  on  which  occa- 
sion the  Association  thought  it  incumbent  on  them  to 
express  their  high  sense  of  his  "  eminent  abilities  and 
worth,  as  a  man,  a  scholar,  a  Christian,  and  a  divine." 
Rev.  Aaron  Tison,  David  Owen,  and  Jeremiah  Rhame, 
"  three  zealous  and  much  approved  preachers  of  the  gos- 
pel," died  in  18O5;  and  in  1806,  Rev.  Lewis  Collins, 
"  an  aged  and  faithful  minister,  eminent  for  his  piety, 
and  useful  in  his  day." 

In  1 804,  the  Association  petitioned  the  Legislature  for 
a  law  to  abolish  the  practice  of  duelling. 

In  1 808,  Dr.  Samuel  Jones,  of  Pennsylvania,  presented 
the  Association  with  15O  copies  of  his  Century  Sermon, 
preached  before  the  Philadelphia  Association,  to  be  ap- 
plied to  the  uses  of  the  Education  Fund  ;  and  a  vote  was 
passed  expressing  gratitude  for  this  instance  of  his  lib- 
erality. 

A  motion  was  made  this  year  to  have  the  Association 
Sermon  in  future  preached  on  the  Saturday  of  the  an- 

*  "The  Cataivba  Indians  are  a  small  tribe,  who  have  one  town  called  Ca- 
tawba,  situated  on  the  Catawba  river,  north  lat.  34°  49',  on  the  boundary  line 
between  North  and  South-Carolina,  and  contains  about  450  inhabitants,  of 
which  about  150  are  fighting  men.  They  are  the  only  tribe  which  resides 
in  the  State.  144,000  acres  of  laud  were  granted  them  by  the  proprietary 
government." Morse. 

It  is  said  that  their  territory  at  present  is  about  16  miles  square ;  but  they 
have  been  degenerating  for  many  years,  and  their  number  and  strength  hav« 
probably  decreased  since  the  above  account  was  taken. 


148          Preparation  for  Preaching  recommended, 

nual  meeting,  and  the  business  then  entered  on,  with  a 
view  to  expedite  it,  but  was  negatived.  It  \vas  resolved  to 
continue  the  usual  mode  of  conducting  the  business,  and 
the  following  reasons  were  assigned  by  the  Association  : 
"  First,  because  devotion  and  the  exercise  of  the  best 
ministerial  gifts  at  those  general  meetings  are  objects,  in 
our  estimation,  of  the  first  importance.  Secondly,  as 
the  administration  of  the  Lord's  Supper  is  a  part  of  the 
solemn  service  appointed  for  the  Sabbath  on  these  occa- 
sions, it  is  proper  and  necessary  that  the  exercises  of  the 
Saturday  should  be  preparatory  to  the  sacred  transaction 
of  approaching  the  table,  and  that  the  mind  be  as  little  as 
possible  diverted  from  the  great  object,  which  then  claims 
its  attention.  Thirdly,  the  plan  of  hurrying  through  the 
business  of  the  Association,  we  think  is  wrong  ;  the  sub- 
jects which  come  under  consideration,  being  generally 
very  serious  and  important,  and  requiring  time  for  de- 
liberation. In  general,  they  have  been  too  much  hur- 
ried. It  is,  therefore,  recommended  to  the  ministers 
and  delegates,  in  future,  to  come  with  an  expectation 
that  the  business  will  not  conclude  before  Wednesday. 
And  as  it  too  often  happens  that  the  ministers  meet  on 
Saturday,  without  any  expectation  to  preach  on  that  day, 
and  if  called  to  preach,  deliver  hasty,  indigested  discours- 
es ;  which  circumstance  has  a  bad  effect  on  the  general 
state  of  the  meeting  ;  it  is  requested  that  they  in  general 
endeavour  to  come  prepared  to  preach,  and  that  on  sub- 
jects the  most  useful  and  important,  suited  to  excite  a 
fervid,  yet  rational  piety. 

The  death  of  Rev.  Samuel  Eccles,  and  Mr.  Alexander 
M'Neal,  was  noticed  with  affection  and  respect  for  their 
memory,  as  "  of  men,  of  whose  usefulness  in  the  ministry 
the  most  pleasing  hopes  were  entertained.  The  first 
had  been  for  several  years  a  student  under  the  care  of 
the  general  committee  ;  and  the  other  had  lately  arrived 
from  Scotland.'* 

In  ISO';,  Rev.  Messrs.  Johnson  and  Collins  were  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  act  with  the  Missionary  to  the 
Indians,  in  superintending  the  school,  and  occasionally 
visiting  the  nation. 

It  was  recommended  to  the  churches  and  the  publick 
to  encourage,  by  subscription,  the  undertaking  of  Mr. 


General  View  of  the  Association.  149 

Woodward,  of  Philadelphia,  to  republish  Dr.  Gill's  Expo- 
sition ;  and  each  church  was  advised  to  provide  a  copy 
for  the  use  of  its  minister. 

It  was  determined  also,  to  encourage  the  author  of  this 
History  in  his  undertaking,  the  design  of  which  he  had 
then  announced. 

In  181O,  this  Association  determined  to  patronize  the 
publication  of  the  Confession  of  Faith,  System  of  Disci- 
cipline,  and  Catechism,  in  one  volume  ;  and  to  address 
the  other  Baptist  Associations  in  the  State  with  a  view 
of  obtaining  their  concurrence. 

From  1773,  when  the  first  account  of  additions,  &c. 
was  taken,  till  179O,  the  following  changes  took  place — 
nineteen  new  churches  were  added  to  the  Association — 
two  joined  other  Associations — and  three  became  ex- 
tinct. The  whole  number  of  churches  being  twenty-two. 
In  this  period  there  were  baptized  980 — received  by  letter 
284 — dismissed  by  letter  520 — excommunicated  105 — 
dead  213.  Whole  number  19O4. 

From  1790  till  181O,  twenty  new  churches  were  ad- 
ded— seven  were  dismissed  to  the  Savannah-river  Asso- 
ciation—^-two  were  excluded  for  not  maintaining  their 
representation — and  two  became  extinct.  The  whole 
number  of  churches  remaining,  thirty-three.  In  this 
period  there  were  baptized  2874 — received  by  letter 
6GO — dismmissed  1615 — excommunicated  458 — restor- 
ed 56 — dead  525.  Whole  number  of  members  29O7. 

This  account  closes  with  1810.  Since  that  time, 
although  but  one  new  church  has  been  added  to  the 
Association,  yet  it  has  greatly  increased,  so  that  in  1812 
it  contained  3498  members.  52.5  were  added  that  year. 

The  foregoing  history  of  this  Association  contains 
most  of  the  information  which  we  shall  be  able  to  give 
of  the  churches,  which  it  comprises.  Of  the  few  follow- 
ing, however,  it  may  be  proper  to  give  a  few  historical 
sketches. 

Congarec. This  church,  which  has  been  the  mother 

of  a  number  of  others,  now  belonging  to  this  Association, 
originated  from  the  Separate  Baptists,  and  was  gathered 
in  the  following  manner.  About  the  year  1764,  Philip 
Mulky  began  to  preach  in  this  neighbourhood,  and  so 
successful  were  his  labours,  that  in  the  course  of  a  year 


150         Churches  of  Congaree,  of  High-Hills  of  Santee, 

or  two  the  following  persons  were  baptized,  viz.  Wil- 
liam Tucker,  Jane  Curry,  Martha  Goodwin,  Isaac  Ray- 
ford,  Joseph  Reese,  Thomas  Norris,  and  Timothy  Dargan, 
(these  three  afterwards  became  ministers)  Benjamin  Bry- 
on,  Nathan  Ellis,  John  Gill,  and  others,  to  the  number 
of  thirty-three,  who,  in  November  1766,  were  constitu- 
ted into  a  church,  by  the  help  of  Rev.  Joseph  Murphy,  of 
North-Carolina.  Concerning  the  progress  of  this  church, 
from  a  short  time  after  its  formation  to  the  present  time, 
we  have  but  little  information.  It  soon  became  very 
extensive,  and  branched  out  on  almost  every  side  ; 
of  these  branches,  those  at  the  High-Hills  of  Santee, 
Wateree,  Twenty -five-mile  Creek,  and  Amelia  township, 
have  since  become  distinct  churches,  and  now  have  a 
seat  in  the  Charleston  Association. 

The  first  pastor  of  the  Congaree  church  was  the  fa- 
mous Joseph  Reese,  of  whom  we  have  given  a  biograph- 
ical account.  Rev.  John  Newton  was  for  a  time  as- 
sociated with  him  in  the  care  of  this  extensive  commu- 
nity. I  can  learn  but  little  more  respecting  him  than 
that  he  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  an  excel- 
lent man.  He  preached  many  years  in  North-Carolina, 
in  connexion  with  the  Separates,  where  his  labours  were 
much  blest ;  he  came  to  Congaree  in  1 765,  and  three 
years  after  received  ordination  at  the  hands  of  Messrs. 
Oliver  Hart  and  Evan  Pugh,  for  which,  as  they  were 
Regular  Baptists,  he  was  censured  and  silenced,  by  the 
Sandy  Creek  Association,  which  assuming  body  at  that 
time  claimed  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Congaree  church. 
After  remaining  in  this  situation  for  some  time,  he  was 
restored  to  his  ministry,  but  never  fully  engaged  in  it, 
after  this  arbitrary  occurrence.  <, 

High-Hills  of  Santee. This  is  a  church  of  some  ce- 
lebrity, and  as  it  is  a  branch  of  the  last  mentioned,  we 
shall  briefly  state  its  origin  and  progress. 

About  the  year  1769,  Mr.  Jeremiah  Dargan  preached 
in  this  place,  which  was  then  wild  and  irreligious.  Soon 
after,  Mr.  Joseph  Reese  visited  them,  and  by  his  preach- 
ing alarmed  the  whole  neighbourhood  ;  and  so  success- 
ful were  the  labours  of  these  faithful  and  zealous  men, 
and  particularly  the  latter,  who  is  considered  as  the  found- 
er of  the  church,  that  in  a  short  time  a  great  num- 


and  of  Georgetown.  151 

ber  were  baptized,  and  among  them  was  Dr.  Furman 
and  his  first  wife.  These  new  converts  joined  the  Con- 
garee  church,  as  has  already  been  suggested,  and  stood 
as  a  branch  of  that  body,  until  the  Santee  church  was 
constituted  in  1772.  The  number  of  constituents  was 
about  70.  A  few  months  after  the  church  was  organized, 
Mr.  Furman  was  by  them  called  to  the  ministry  ;  he  was 
ordained  here  in  1774,  by  Messrs.  Reese  and  Pugh.  Soon 
after  his  ordination  he  became  the  pastor  of  the  church, 
and  continued  in  that  office  until  1787,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Charleston.  After  his  removal,  the  church 
was  without  a  pastor  about  ten  years,  when  they  had 
the  happiness  to  settle  among  them  Rev.  John  M.  Rob- 
erts, who  remains  their  worthy  and  useful  pastor. 

The  seat  of  the  original  church  is  about  three  miles 
north  of  Statebury,  and  about  a  hundred  north-west  of 
Charleston.  It  has  two  or  three  other  places  of  worship, 
not  many  miles  distant.  The  Santee  church  has  been 
a  mother  establishment ;  for  the  churches  of  Ebenezer, 
Lynch's  Creek,  (2d  of  that  name)  Upper  Fork  of  Lynch's 
Creek,  Swift  Creek,  Bethel,  Camden,  and  Calvary,  all 
originated  from  it.  Being  in  a  central  situation,  it  has 
frequently  been  the  place  of  the  Association's  meeting. 

Georgetown. It  may  be  seen  in  the  biography  of 

Rev.  William  Screven,  that  he  made  Georgetown  his 
place  of  residence  for  a  number  of  years  in  the  latter 
part  of  his  life  ;  but  it  does  not  appear  that  there  were 
ever  many  Baptists  in  the  place,  until  ministers  of  this 
order  began  to  be  invited  heje  by  Mr.  William  Cuttiro. 
Mr.  Cuttiro  was  a  native  of  the  town,  but  was  a  resident 
in  Charleston,  where  he  was  baptized  by  Rev.  Oliver 
Hart,  in  1767.  Two  years  after,  he  returned  and  settled 
in  Georgetown.  From  this  time,  by  his  solicitation 
Baptist  ministers  began  to  visit  the  place,  Dr.  Furman 
was  the  most  frequent  visitor,  as  his  labours  were  the 
most  acceptable.  He,  for  many  years,  annually  spent 
several  weeks  in  visiting  and  administering  to  the  breth- 
ren here  ;  for  Mr.  Cuttiro  had  now  a  number  of  his  fami- 
ly and  some  others  united  in  profession  with  him,  and 
by  Drs.  Furman  and  Staughton,  they  were  formed  into 
a  church  in  1 794.  For  one  year  immediately  subsequent 
to  its  constitution,  this  church  was  supplied  by  Dr. 


152  Church  of  Beaufort-. 

Staughton,  now  of  Philadelphia,  who  had  then  just  come 
to  America.  In  1797,  Rev.  Edmund  Botsford  removed 
from  the  Welsh-Neck  church,  and  settled  in  the  pastoral 
office  at  Georgetown.  Mr.  Botsford  was  born  at  Wo- 
burn,  in  Bedfordshire,  England,  November,  1745;  he 
came  to  America  when  he  was  about  20  years  of  age, 
and  soon  after  was  baptized  by  Mr.  Hart,  of  Charleston  ; 
and  after  studying  with  him  between  two  and  three 
years,  he  began  to  preach  at  Tuckaseeking  in  Georgia, 
in  1771.  In  that  State  he  tarried  about  seven  years, 
when  he  travelled  and  preached  abundantly  with  much 
success ;  but  in  the  American  war  he  was  obliged  to  fly 
from  the  country,  with  the  loss  of  most  of  his  estate. 
He  then  settled  at  the  Welsh-Neck,  where  he  continued 
until  he  removed  to  his  present  situation.  Mr.  Botsford 
was  a  very  successful  labourer  in  the  vineyard  in  his 
more  active  days  ;  and  although  his  ministry  in  George- 
town has  been  highly  reputable  in  the  view  of  all,  and 
much  esteemed  by  the  pious,  yet  it  has  not  been  so  suc- 
cessful as  he  and  his  friends  could  have  wished.  Most 
of  the  old  members  have  died,  and  few  others  have 
succeeded  them,  so  that  the  church  is  now  in  a  feeble 
state.  This  church  has  a  handsome  and  commodious 
wooden  meeting-house,  which  was  well  finished  in  18O4-. 
It  stands  on  a  lot  of  one  acre,  which  was  given  in  reserve 
by  the  Rev.  William  Screven,  when  the  town  was  first 
laid  out ;  but  was  not  occupied  until  almost  a  hundred 
years  after  his  death.  This  house,  which  is  about  60  feet 
long,  is  situated  on  a  delightful  eminence,  directly  oppo- 
site the  market-house,  and  commands  a  view  of  the 
whole  town  from  the  front  of  it,  and  of  very  extensive 
rice  fields  from  its  rear. 

Beaufort* This  town  is  situated  on  the  island  of 

Port- Royal,  about  70  miles  S.  W.  from  Charleston,  and 
is  remarkable  for  its  healthy  situation,  and  the  hospitality 
and  politeness  of  its  inhabitants.  The  Baptist  church 
here  originated  from  the  division  of  the  ancient  one  at 
Evvhaw,  and  was  formed  in  1 804. 

The  foundation  for  this  church  was  laid  by  the  labours 
of  Dr.  Holcombe,  now  of  Philadelphia,  who  resided  here 
a  number  of  years,  while  he  was  pastor  of  the  Ewhaw 
church,  and  by  whom  many  of  the  constituents  of  the 


Church  in  Columbia. 

church  were  baptized.  While  Rev.  Joseph  B.  Cook  was 
pastor  at  Ewhaw,  he  also  devoted  a  part  of  his  labours  to 
this  branch  of  that  body  ;  and  soon  after  the  church  was 
formed,  he  became  its  pastor.  In  this  office  he  contin- 
ued until  .1809,  when  he  resigned  his  charge,  and  is  now 
settled  at  Camden,  where  a  church  has  lately  been  form- 
ed, About  the  time  of  Mr.  Cook's  resignation,  Rev. 
James  Graham,  from  Scotland,  came  to  the  place,  and 
had  the  care  of  the  church  a  short  time ;  but  his  con- 
nexion with  this  people  was  not  altogether  happy  for 
himself  nor  them,  and  was  therefore  soon  dissolved. 

Rev.  William  S.  Brantly,  their  present  pastor,  succeed- 
ed Mr.  Graham.  Mr.  Brantly  is  a  native  of  North-Car- 
olina, where  he  was  born  in  1786.  He  received  consid- 
erable assistance  towards  his  education,  from  the  Charles- 
ton Education  Fund,  and  graduated  at  Columbia  College 
in  18Oy. 

The  Beaufort  church  has  a  valuable  and  commodious 
house  of  worship,  built  of  a  composition  of  oyster-shells, 
and  mortar  made  of  the  same  marine  materials.* 

Columbia. Although  the  church  in  this  town  is  of 

a  recent  date,  yet  considering  its  situation  and  the  cir- 
cumstances of  its  origin,  it  demands  a  brief  description. 

In  1 8O4,  Jonathan  Maxcy,  D.D.  a  Baptist  minister,  for- 
merly President  of  Rhode-Island  College,  settled  in  this 
town  in  the  Presidency  of  the  South-Carolina  College, 
which  had  been  established  here  a  little  while  before. 
The  doctor  commenced  a  course  of  preaching  in  connex- 
ion with  his  presidential  duties,  which,  however,  on  ac- 
count of  debility,  he  was  obliged  to  relinquish  in  about  six 
months.  It  does  not  appear  that  there  was  much  preach- 
ing here  by  the  Baptists  from  this  period  until  1808, 
when  Mr.  Brantly,  now  of  Beaufort  in  this  State,  then 

*  There  are  in  Beaufort,  and  along  the  sea-coast  in  that  region,  many  state- 
ly edifices  built  of  this  composition.  Oysters  of  an  interiour  quality  grow  here 
in  an  abundance,  of  which  there  are  no  examples  in  the  northern  States.  1'hey 
appear  to  t>e  short-lived,  and  the  shells  are  wafted  in  vast  bodies  along  the 
shore,  so  th;-.t  whatever  quantities  are  desired  may  be  procured  with  ease.  A 
sufficient  portion  of  them  are  reduced  to  lime,  and  much  mortar  is  necessary 
in  this  work,  with  which  the  shells  are  intermixed,  and  with  this  composition 
the  wall  is  made,  which,  when  it  is  thoroughly  dry,  is  as  impregnable  as  rock, 
arid  I  know  not  but  of  equal  durability.  The  nicest  structures  of  this  kind  are 
plastered  without  and  within,  and  m;:ke  an  elegant  appearance,  while  stables 
and  coarser  buildings,  are  left  in  a  rough,  unplastered  state,  and  present  to  the 
view  of  a  stranger,  a  ragged  and  curious  sight. 

VOL.  2.  20 


154       Account  of  Baptists  formerly  called  Separates. 

a  student  under  President  Maxcy,  by  the  request  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Columbia,  preached  to  them  about  a  year, 
during  the  latter  part  of  his  residence  in  College.  Next 
to  him  was  Mr.  Johnson,  now  of  Savannah,  who  began 
preaching  here  in  the  beginning  of  the  year  !  809.  Mr. 
Johnson  removed  hither  from  the  church  at  Ewhaw,  of 
which  he  was  pastor.  He  found  in  the  place  upwards  of 
twenty  Baptist  professors,  belonging  to  different  church- 
es. He  began  preaching  in  the  College  Chapel,  and  his 
ministry  was  crowned  with  success.  Under  him  the 
church  at  Columbia  arose ;  it  was  founded  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  year  1809,  of  about  36  members,and  has  now 
•increased  to  upwards  of  K)0,  and  has  erected  a  commo- 
dious brick  meeting-house  4O  feet  square.  Since  Mr. 
Johnson's  removal  to  Savannah,  this  church  is  left  desti- 
tute of  a  pastor. 

The  Baptists,  whose  history  we  have  thus  far  related, 
were  denominated  Particular  or  Regular,  when  these 
terms  were  in  use  among  our  southern  brethren.  They 
are  the  most  ancient,  and  have  always  been  the  most  ac- 
tive and  influential  in  all  matters  of  publick  concern  ; 
although  they  have  for  a  number  of  years,  been  inferiour 
in  number  to  those  who  originated  from  the  Separates. 
The  beginning  of  this  people  in  South-Carolina  has  been 
briefly  related  in  the  history  of  the  Separate  Baptists  of 
North-Carolina,  Virginia,  &c. ;  and  for  the  purpose  of  pre- 
serving the  thread  of  our  history,  we  have  in  the  preced- 
ing narrative  given  an  account  of  one  of  these  church- 
es, viz.  the  Congaree,  with  its  numerous  branches. 
What  remains  is  to  give  as  good  an  account  as  we  can 
collect  of  the  Associations  and  numerous  churches, 
which  have  originated  from  that  zealous  people,  improp- 
erly called  Separates,  who  were  devout  and  successful 
almost  to  a  proverb,  wherever  they  began  their  early  and 
evangelical  exertions. 

Mr.  Furman's  history  does  not  describe  this  people,  as 
it  is  confined  to  the  Charleston  Association.  Mr.  Ed- 
wards has  left  some  sketches  of  their  history  ;  and  the 
author  of  this  work  travelled  much  among  them,  and 
took  much  pains  in  his  historical  inquiries  respecting 
them  ;  yet  he  will  be  able  to  say  but  little  of  them,  com- 
pared with  what  has  been  said  of  their  brethren  in  the 


Fairforest  Church.  155 

lower  parts  of  the  State ;  partly  for  the  want  of  histori- 
cal facts  of  any  kind,  and  partly  for  the  want  of  such,  as 
would  make  a  diffusive  narrative  sufficiently  interesting 
to  the  reader. 

/  ^xAbout  the  year  1760,  a  number  of  the  Separate  min- 
isters of  the  Sandy  Creek  connexion  in  North-Carolina, 
began  to  travel  and  settle  in  this  State,  some  a  little  be- 
;  fore  and  others  a  little  after  the  above-mentioned  pe- 
riod. Among  the  ministers,  Daniel  Marshall  and  Philip 
Mulky  appear  to  have  been  the  most  distinguished. 

These  evangelical  adventurers  were  accompanied  by 
many  of  their  brethren  in  their  removals.  Marshall 
settled  at  Beaver  Creek,  where  he  soon  gathered  a  church. 
Here  he  tarried  not  long  before  he  removed  to  Stephen's 
Creek,  where  he  gathered  another,  and  then  crossed 
over  the  Savannah  River  and  settled  in  Georgia,  where 
the  remainder  of  his  useful  life  was  spent  in  the  service 
of  his  Master. 

Mr.  Mulky  exercised  his  ministry  in  different  places, 
in  the  upper  regions  of  this  State,  where  he  was  for 
many  years  a  very  reputable  and  successful  minister  ;  but 
the  latter  part  of  his  life  was  most  sadly  beclouded.  The 
Fairforest  church,  now  belonging  to  the  Bethel  Associa- 
tion, was  founded  by  him,  and  as  it  is  the  oldest  of  the 
Separate  Baptists  in  the  State,  and  became  the  mother 
of  many  others,  we  shall  relate  its  early  history  at  large. 

In  the  year  1759, Philip  Mulky  and  wife,  Stephen  How- 
ard and  wife,  Obadiah  Howard  and  wife,  Joseph  Breed 
and  wife,  Benjamin  Gist  and  wife,  Charles  Thompson, 
Thomas  Thompson,  and  Rachel  Collins,  all  members  of 
Deep  River  church  in  North-Carolina,  arrived  in  this 
State,  and  settled  first  at  Broad  River,  where  they  em- 
bodied into  a  church,  and  chose  Mr.  Mulky  for  their  pas- 
tor. After  tarrying  here  about  two  years,  and  increas- 
ing to  1O4,  the  above-named  thirteen  persons,  (leaving 
the  rest  behind)  removed  to  Fairforest,  where  they  were 
again  formed  into  a  church  in  1762,  which,  in  about  ten 
years,  increased  to  167  members.  Some  of  their  habi- 
tations were  a  hundred  miles  from  each  other  ;  and  be* 
sides  the  main  establishment,  there  were  four  branches, 
which,  in  process  of  time,  were  organized  into  distinct 
churches. 


156  Bethel  Association. 

Mr.  Mulky's  conversion,  as  related  by  Mr.  Edwards, 
was  truly  remarkable.  His  success  in  the  ministry,  says 
this  historian,  was  so  great,  that  he  became  exalted 
above  measure  in  his  own  esteem,  and  in  that  of  his  con- 
verts ;  but  at  length,  to  the  grief  of  the  friends  of  Zion, 
he  began  to  stumble,  and  soon  fell  into  many  heinous 
sins,  and  remained,  when  an  old  man,  an  outcast  from 
the  church,  and  a  disgrace  to  that  precious  cause,  of 
which  he  had  been  such  an  eminent  champion. 

In  1771,  the  following  churches,  viz.  Fairforest, 
Stephen's  Creek,  Congaree,  Bush  River,  Little  River  of 
Broad  River,  Little  River  of  Saluda,  and  Mine  Creek, 
formed  an  Association,  to  which  they  gave  the  name  of 
Congaree.  This  body,  by  the  means  of  Morgan  Edwards, 
soon  opened  a  correspondence  with  the  Philadelphia  As- 
sociation ;  other  churches  united  with  it  soon  after  it 
was  formed,  and  it  travelled  well  for  a  time.  But  the 
old  New-England  Pedobaptist  policy,  which  Shubael 
Stearns  introduced  into  the  Sandy  Creek  Association, 
was  soon  put  in  practice  here.  The  Association  began  to 
tamper  with  the  discipline  of  the  churches,  and  infringed 
on  their  independency  ;  it  of  course  became  embarrassed 
in  its  proceedings,  as  all  Associations  will,  when  they 
attempt  to  see  and  act  for  the  churches,  and  in  a  few 
years  was  entirely  broken  up. 

But  the  churches  do  not  appear  to  have  been  impeded 
in  their  progress  by  the  dissolution  of  the  Association  ; 
they  continued  to  increase  and  send  forth  their  branches 
in  different  directions ;  and  in  1789,  many  of  those  which 
had  belonged  to  the  Congaree  Association,  and  others 
which  had  been  raised  up  since  it  was  dissolved,  united 
in  forming  an  establishment  to  which  they  gave  the 
name  of  the 

BETHEL  ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  body,  at  its  constitution,  consisted  of  sixteen 
churches.  They  immediately  delegated  James  Fowler, 
one  of  their  principal  ministers,  to  the  Charleston  Asso- 
ciation, who  was  cordially  received  ;  and  who,  pursuant 
to  his  instructions,  so  far  adjusted  the  little  matters  of 
difference,  which  had  heretofore  prevented  their  union 


//  experiences  great  Revivals.  ]57 

with  the  Separates,  that  a  correspondence  was  opened, 
which  has  been  maintained  to  the  present  time. 

From  this  period  the  name  of  Separate  began  to  be 
disused,  and  was  soon  entirely  laid  aside  ;  so  that  the 
Baptists  in  South-Carolina,  from  whatever  source  they 
originated,  have  for  many  years  past  been  united  in 
their  external  order  and  doctrinal  sentiments. 

The  Bethel  Association  has  been  a  very  flourishing 
body,  and  has  had  within  its  bounds  a  number  of  very 
extensive  revivals.  It  also  shared  largely  in  that  extraor- 
dinary work  which  prevailed  in  the  southern  and  west- 
ern,  and  some  other  States,  from  1 80O  and  onward. 

In  1803,  there  were  received  by  baptism  in  all  the 
churches  of  which  it  was  composed,  1411  persons,  which 
made  its  total  number,  at  that  time,  notwithstanding  the 
Broad  River  and  Saluda  River  Associations  had  been 
set  off  from  it  before,  3518. 

The  Edgefield  Association  has  been  formed  from  it 
since,  and  many  of  its  members  have  removed  to  the 
western  country,  so  that  it  is  not  so  large  as  it  was  at 
the  close  of  the  great  revival  ;  but  still  it  is  a  large 
and  respectable  body. 

From  the  foregoing  sketches  it  appears,  that  the 
Bethel  Association  has  been  an  increasing  and  nurturing 
community,  beyond  any  of  the  kind  in  the  State.  It 
does  not  appear  that  any  of  its  ministers  have  been  dis- 
tinguished for  literary  acquirements  ;  but  it  has  generally 
contained  a  number  of  men  of  very  respectable  talents, 
who  have  been  remarkably  zealous  and  successful  in  the 
most  noble  and  benevolent  employment  on  earth,  even 
winning  souls  to  Christ. 

David  Lilly  was  an  eminent  minister  in  this  Associa- 
tion nearly  if  not  quite  from  its  establishment,  until  the 
Edgefield  Association  was  taken  from  it,  when  he  united 
with  that  body,  and  died  within  its  bounds,  about  1  8O9. 
There  were  sufficient'  materials  for  an  interesting  me- 
moir of  his  life,  which  his  friends  proposed  to  publish, 
and  from  which  I  intended  to  select  a  biographical  sketch 
of  his  character  ;  but  this  tribute  of  respect,  which  was 
due  to  the  memory  of  an  eminent  and  worthy  minister 
of  the  gospel,  has  never  been  paid. 


158  Broad  River  Association. 

James  Fowler  was  long  a  very  useful  and  distinguished 
minister  among  the  churches  in  this  region.  What  lit- 
tle I  have  learnt  of  his  history  is  as  follows  :  Some  time 
before  the  Bethel  Association  was  formed,  he,  with  two 
other  men  who  were  brothers,  by  the  name  of  Rogers, 
were  together  pursuing  the  same  occupation,  in  a  situa- 
tion remote  from  any  of  the  Baptist  denomination.  They 
were  brought  up  Presbyterians,  and  emigrated  hither  from 
some  one  of  the  northern  States.  Their  minds  were 
awakened  to  religious  concerns  ;  and,  regardless  of  the 
traditions  of  their  fathers,  they  took  the  Bible  for  their 
creed,  and  from  it  they,  according  to  the  best  of  their 
understanding,  formed  a  religious  system  of  their  own. 
They  at  length  heard  of  a  Baptist  preacher,  who  lived 
about  20  or  30  miles  from  them,  and  to  him  they  dele- 
gated one  of  their  number,  to  see  how  far  his  religious 
tenets  and  theirs  would  agree.  When  the  messenger 
returned,  he  informed  them,  that  the  minister's  princi- 
ples and  theirs  were  exactly  alike,  and  that  he  had  a 
large  church  of  the  same  mind.  Having  thus  found  a 
people  with  whom  they  were  agreed,  and  with  whom 
they  could  associate  for  the  communion  of  saints,  they 
immediately  repaired  to  them,  were  baptized,  and  ad- 
mitted into  their  community.  Returning  home,  they 
soon  set  up  little  meetings  where  they  lived,  in  which 
Fowler  was  generally  put  forward.  In  this  way  he  be- 
gan his  labours,  and  soon  became  an  eminent  minister 
of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  and  finished  his  course  with  joy 
in  February,  1 802,  being  about  6O  years  of  age.  He  was 
generally  the  Moderator  of  the  Bethel  Association,  and 
\vas,  for  many  years,  one  of  the  principal  ministers  in 
that  body. 

BROAD  RIVER  ASSOCIATION. 

IN  the  year  1800,  the  bounds  of  the  Bethel  Associa- 
tion having  become  very  extensive,  the  fourteen  follow- 
ing churches,  situated  in  the  north-west  corner  of  this 
State,  and  in  the  adjoining  parts  of  North-Carolina,  viz. 
Tiger  River,  Boiling  Spring,  Green  Creek,  Goucher 
Creek,  Sandy  Run,  Buffaloe,  Green  River,  Cedar  Spring, 
French  Broad,  Mountain  Creek,  Bill's  Creek,  State  Line. 


A  Revival  which  continued  three  Tears. 

Buck  Creek,  and  Long  Creek,  in  answer  to  their  re- 
quest, were  dismissed,  with  permission  to  form  an  As- 
sociation by  themselves.  They  were  organized  shortly 
after,  when  the  above-mentioned  name  was  given  to 
it,  with  reference  to  the  river  on  both  sides  of  which 
the  churches  are  situated.  The  Broad  River  rises  in 
the  mountains,  and  unites  with  the  Saluda  in  forming 
the  Congaree,  which  is  the  main  branch  of  the  Great 
Santee. 

This  Association  experienced  very  great  enlargements 
soon  after  it  was  formed.  In  the  spring  of  1 802,  the 
powerful  work  which  prevailed  at  that  time  throughout 
this  country,  began  to  be  experienced  by  the  churches  in 
this  body,  and  continued  more  or  less  for  three  succes- 
sive years,  in  which  the  Broad  River  Association  receiv- 
ed an  addition  by  baptism  of  1296  members,  which  in- 
creased the  whole  number  to  upwards  of  2000.  But  by 
different  means  it  has  been  greatly  diminished  since  that 
period,  notwithstanding  large  additions  have  at  different 
times  been  made  to  the  churches.  Great  numbers  have 
removed  beyond  the  mountains,  to  the  western  States 
and  territories  ;  and  in  the  course  of  five  years,  viz.  from. 
18O3  to  1808,  there  were  excommunicated  from  the 
churches  in  this  Association  285  persons  ;  which  circum- 
stance proves  that  they  received  much  chaff  with  the  prec- 
ious grain,  as  is  too  often  the  case  in  such  great  ingather- 
ings ;  it  also  proves  that  they  have  used  a  commendable 
degree  of  diligence  in  winnowing  it  out,  when  it  was 
discovered.  A  number  of  preachers  were  raised  up  in 
the  time  of  the  great  revival,  most  of  whom  continue  to 
be  successful  labourers  in  this  part  of  the  Lord's  vineyard. 

Most  of  the  churches  in  this  Association  are  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  and  none  of  them  are 
far  distant  from  the  mountainous  parts  of  the  back  coun- 
try. Those  of  Sandy  Run ,  Green  River,  Mountain  Creek, 
Bill's  Creek,  Silver  Creek,  north  of  Catawbi  River,  Prov- 
idence, Concord,  and  Smyrna,  are  in  the  counties  of 
Rutherford,  Burk,  and  Lincoln,  in  North-Carolina, 
Those  in  South-Carolina  are  in  the  districts  of  Green- 
ville, Spartanborough,  Union,  and  York. 


160  Saluda  and  Edgefeld  Associations.. 

SALUDA    ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  also  originated  from  the  Bethel  Association.  In 
18O2,  the  nine  following  churches,  viz.  Big  Creek,  Fork 
Shoal,  Brushy  Creek,  Cross  Road,  Sciona,  Keowee, 
Woolyray,  Middle  Fork  of  Saluda,  and  Shoal  church, 
were  dismissed  from  that  body.  The  churches  of  Eben- 
ezer,  Shackley  Ferry,  Bethuel,  Cathie's  Creek,  Neal's 
Creek,  Salem,  Hopewell,  and  Wilson's  Creek,  which  had 
never  belonged  to  any  Association,  united  with  those 
above-named  in  forming  the  Association,  whose  history 
we  are  now  relating,  which  was  organized  in  18O3. 
This  body  is  in  the  south-west  corner  of  the  State,  and 
like  the  Broad  River  extends  to  the  mountains. 

Rev.  Elnathan  Davis,  a  native  of  Maryland,  of  whom 
we  have  given  some  account  in  the  biography  of  Shubael 
Stearns,  was  one  of  the  principal  ministers  in  this  Asso- 
ciation, and  continues,  in  his  old  age,  to  be  esteemed  a 
father  in  the  churches,  having  been  a  successful  preacher 
of  the  gospel  about  fifty  years. 

Rev.  Moses  Holland  is  also  an  old  and  respectable 
preacher,  and  was  one  of  the  constituents  of  the  com- 
munity. 

The  churches  which  compose  this  Association  are 
mostly  in  the  districts  of  Greenville,  Abbyville,  and 
Pendleton,  on  both  sides  of  the  Saluda  River,  from  which 
it  received  its  name. 

EDGEFIELD    ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  is  another  flourishing  establishment,  from  that 
fruitful  mother  of  churches,  the  Bethel  Association.  It 
was  formed  in  1  SOS,  when  it  was  called  Beulah  ;  but  the 
next  year  its  name  was  exchanged  for  that  of  the  dis- 
trict in  which  most  of  the  churches  are  situated,  which 
joins  the  Savannah  River,  and  is  opposite  Augusta  in 
Georgia.  Of  this  body  we  are  able  to  give  only  a  short 
but  pleasing  account ;  for  soon  after  it  was  formed,  a 
happy  revival  commenced,  which  became  very  powerful 
and  extensive  j  and  in  the  course  of  about  eighteen 
months,  about  fourteen  hundred  persons  were  baptized. 
In  the  course  of  this  revival,  Samuel  Marsh,  one  of  their 


Interesting  Anecdote.  161 

principal  ministers,  baptized  in  two  churches  about  five 
hundred  of  this  number. 

A  pleasant  anecdote  is  related  of  one  of  the  converjs 
in  this  revival,  which  it  may  not  be  improper  here  to* 
insert.  A  Mr.  F ,  who  had  been  famous  for  hi- 
larity and  worldly  amusement,  was  taken  under  concern 
of  mind.  His  associates  were  very  unwilling  to  give 
him  up,  and  tried  various  methods  to  divert  his  atten- 
tion from  what  they  esteemed  a  needless  anxiety,  and 
draw  him  again  into  his  former  vain  and  sinful  pursuits  ; 
but  all  their  efforts  proved  ineffectual.  At  length  they 

contrived  a  shooting-match ;  and  as  Mr.  F valued 

himself  on  his  skill  with  the  rifle,  they  laid  a  considerable 
wager  against  him,  and  doubted  not  but  their  plan  would 
succeed.  Two  gentlemen,  one  of  whom  has  since  been, 
a  member  of  Congress,  waited  on  him  with  much  gravi- 
ty, and  explained  to  him  the  object  of  their  visit.  He 
saw  at  once  through  their  design  ;  he  hesitated  at  first, 
but  on  the  whole  manifested  a  willingness  to  exert  his 
skill,  provided  they  would  let  him  use  his  own  rifle,  and 
load  it  himself.  This  request  they  declared  was  alto- 
gether reasonable,  and  seemed  much  pleased  that  they 

had  obtained  his  consent.    Mr.  F then  stepped  up  to 

his  book-case  and  took  down  his  Bible ;  "  This  (said  he) 
is  my  rifle.*'  And,  turning  to  Acts  xiii.  10,  he  handed 
his  Bible  to  one  of  the  men,  and  said, "  There  is  my  load/* 
The  astonished  gentleman  read  as  follows  :  0  full  of 
all  subtiltv  and  mischief,  thou  child  of  the  devil,  thou  enemy 
of  all  righteousness  !  wilt  thou  not  cease  to  pervert  the  right 
•ways  of  the  Lord?  He  immediately  hung  his  head,  and 
settled  down,  as  if  shot  indeed.  Conviction  from  that 
time  fastened  on  his  mind  ;  his  brother,  also,  and  both 
of  their  wives  were  convicted,  and  in  a  short  time 
were  hopefully  converted,  and  united  with  the  tempted 
but  faithful  man  in  a  religious  profession.  This  was 
called  F 's  buck-load* 

History  of  the  General  Baptists  in  South-Carolina,  from  their 
Commencement  until  thev  became  extinct. 

• 

There  was  never  but  one  society  of  this  people  in  this 
State.  Some  sketches  of  their  history  have  been  given 
in  the  account  of  the  Charleston  church.  They  origi- 

VOL.  2.  21 


162     Beginning  of  the  General  Baptists  in  S.  Carolina. 

nated  about  1733,  when  several  members  of  the  Charles- 
ton church  withdrew  from  that  ancient  body,  and  em- 
braced the  sentiments  of  the  General  Baptists.  William 
Elliot,  jun.  was  the  leader  of  this  separation.  He  ap- 
pears to  have  been  a  man  of  wealth  and  influence.  Soon 
after  these  people  had  withdrawn,  they  sent  to  England 
for  a  minister,  and  obtained  a  Mr.  Robert  Ingraham. 
In  1736,  they  were  organized  into  a  church  ;  the  constit- 
uents were  Rev.  Robert  Ingraham,  William  Elliot,  Wil- 
liam Elliot,  jun.  Thomas  Elliot,  Joseph  Elliot,  Bernard 
Elliot,  Frances  Elliot,  Elizabeth  Elliot,  Henry  Toomer, 
Miry  Toomer,  Mary  Toomer,  jun.  Richard  Butler,  Josh- 
ua Toomer,  George  Tinnons,  John  Clifford,  Thomas 
Tow,  Thomas  Davis,  Dorothy  Jones,  Ann  Bonneau,  Am- 
orintha  Farr,  and  Ann  Chidely. 

The  seat  of  this  church  was  at  Stono,  about  16  miles 
south-west  from  Charleston,  where  they  had  a  meeting- 
house and  some  temporalities.  They  also  claimed,  for 
a  while,  a  part  of  the  estate  belonging  to  the  church 
from  which  they  separated,  as  has  been  before  related. 
This  church  flourished  considerably  for  a  time,  and  had 
some  able  ministers  for  its  pastors.  But  after  existing 
about  50  years,  it  became  entirely  extinct ;  and  the  tem- 
poralities, which  it  possessed  to  a  considerable  amount, 
which  were  bestowed  upon  it  mostly  by  the  Elliots,  after 
suffering  many  diminutions,  were  converted  to  private 
use. 

Rev.  Robert  Ingraham,  their  first  minister,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Lincolnshire,  England,'  but  came  hither  directly 
from  Farnham,  near  London.  He  was  pastor  of  the 
church  but  a  short  time,  for  he  died  in  1738. 

Rev.  Henry  Haywood  was  his  successor.  He  arrived 
hither  from  Farnham  in  1739,  and  soon  after  was  in- 
vested with  the  pastoral  care  of  the  church,  in  which  he 
continued  until  his  death,  which  happened  in  1755.  His 
character  is  that  of  a  scholar,  but  an  oddity  in  person 
and  conduct.  Mr.  Whiston  speaks  handsomely  of  him  ; 
but  Dr.  Gill  very  indifferently.  He  translated  into  English 
Dr.  Whitby's  Treatise  on  Original  Sin  ;  and  prepared  for 
the  press  a  pretty  large  volume,  in  defence  of  the  Apostol- 
ical Constitutions.  He  published  a  defence  of  Dr.  Whitby 
against  Dr.  Gill ;  also  a  catechism,  which  he  dedicated 


Anecdote  of  Henry  Haywood*  163 

to  three  ladies,  but  saw  himself  neglected  by  the  chief 
one  of  them,  when  on  her  death-bed  ;  for  she  then  sent 
for  Rev.  Oliver  Hart,  to  assist  her  in  that  serious  situa- 
tion. Mr.  Hart  waited  on  her,  and  moved  that  her  own 
minister  might  be  sent  for  ;  she  replied,  "  Mr.  Hay  wood 
is  a  good  companion  for  the  living,  but  he  is  not  fit  to 
die  by,  for  he  thinks  but  little  of  Jesus  Christ.'* 

Rev.  Daniel  Wheeler  was  the  next  in  office  here.  He 
was  a  native  of  Calne,  in  Wiltshire,  England  ;  arrived 
in  Charleston  in  1757,  and  after  serving  the  church  about 
ten  years,  died  in  1767,  in  the  61st  year  of  his  age.  All 
that  is  said  of  him  is,  that  he  was  esteemed  a  pious  and 
honest  man. 

The  fourth  and  last  pastor  of  this  church,  was  Rev. 
Caleb  Evans,  A.  M.  He  was  born  in  1743,  in  the  parish 
of  Lanafonfowr,  in  the  county  of  Brecknock,  Wales ; 
received  his  education  at  Aberdeen,  in  Scotland  ;  arrived 
in  Charleston  in  1768,  and  died  in  1772.  About  the 
time  of  Mr.  Evans's  death,  this  church  consisted  of  but 
eight  members  ;  part  of  them  resided  at  Stono,  and  the 
others  in  Charleston  :  it  continued  in  a  declining  way 
for  a  few  years  after,  and  then  became  extinct. 

From  the  preceding  history  it  appears,  that  for  more 
than  a  hundred  years  the  Baptists  have  held  a  respecta- 
ble standing  in  South-Carolina,  and  that  they  have  in- 
creased with  great  rapidity  within  about  twenty  or  thir- 
ty years  past.     This  great  increase  has  been  mostly  in 
the  middle  and  upper  regions  of  the  State,  which  were 
formerly  immoral  and   irreligious  to  a  proverb.     The 
prevalence  of  religion  has  had  a  very  pleasing  effect  in 
moralizing,  and,  indeed,  in  humanizing  the  manners  of 
the  people.     Most  of  the  famous  race-grounds  are  now 
deserted,  and  the  barbarous  sports,  which  were  once 
very  common,  are  now  but  little  known.     The  author 
having  previously  heard  so  many  reports  to  the  disadvan- 
tage of  the  people,  in  what  are  called  the  back  countries 
in  this  and  the  adjoining  States,  entered  those  parts  with 
some  unpleasant  apprehensions.     He  expected  to  find 
many  saints  to  befriend  him,  but  he  was  fearful  of  meet- 
ing with  some  heedless  sinners  who  might  molest  him. 
But  he  has  the  pleasure  of  declaring,  that  he  was  most 
agreeably  disappointed  in  the  general  manners  of  the 


164  Great  Revival  from  1800  to  1803. 

people,  and  was  treated  by  all  classes  with  much  civility 
and  hospitality.  There  are,  it  must  be  confessed,  the 
remains  of  that  class  of  people,  who  gave  this  country 
such  a  bad  name,  who  occasionally  commit  acts  of  vio- 
lence and  outrage,  but  they  are  generally  among  them- 
selves, and  not  on  strangers  or  sober  people. 

This  reformation  in  manners,  so  much  to  the  credit 
and  happiness  of  the  people  in  this  country,  must  not  be 
ascribed  wholly  to  the  exertions  of  the  Baptists  ;  for  the 
Presbyterians  and  Methodie  ts  are  entitled  to  a  respectful 
share  ;  and  to  the  powerful  and  salutary  grace  of  God 
belongs  all  the  praise. 

The  great  revival  in  this  country,  soon  after  the  com- 
mencement of  the  present  century,  has  often  been  refer- 
red to  in  the  preceding  narrative.  We  should  be  pleas- 
ed to  give  a  more  particular  account  of  it  than  we  have 
hitherto  done,  or  than  we,  for  the  want  of  materials,  are 
able  to  do.  The  most  we  can  say  is,  that  between  the 
years  J  SOO  and  1 803,  there  were  most  surprising  move- 
ments of  a  religious  nature  on  the  minds  of  the  people 
in  South-Carolina  ;  and  notwithstanding  the  manifest 
enthusiasm  of  many,  the  great  Shepherd  of  the  sheep 
gathered  into  his  fold  a  large  and  precious  number  of 
Adam's  ruined  family.  Of  these,  between  three  and 
four  thousand  joined  the  churches  belonging  to  the  Beth- 
el and  Bread  River  Associations.  Large  numbers  were, 
at  the  same  time,  added  to  the  Methodist  and  Presbyte- 
rian churches. 

Camp  meetings,  during  these  refreshing  seasons,  were 
often  held  in  the  middle  and  upper  regions  of  the  State, 
which  were  promoted  mostly  by  the  Methodists  and 
Presbyterians.  Many  of  the  Baptists,  however,  attend- 
ed them,  and  united  with  their  brethren  of  other  denom- 
inations, ?>o  far  as  they  could  consistently  with  their  prin- 
ciples. They  also  held  meetings  of  a  similar  nature 
among  themselves,  so  long  as  the  necessity  for  them  con- 
tinued ;  and  when  that  ceased,  they  returned  to  their 
usual  places  of  worship. 

The  two  following  letters  will  give  the  reader  a  view 
of  the  manner  in  which  the  meetings  above-mentioned 
conducted. 


Camp-Meetings  in  South-Carolina.  \\. 

The  following  is  an  Extract  of  a  Letter,  written  by  Rev.  Da- 
vid Lilly,  dated  Aug.  '21,  1802,  to  the  Editor  cf  the  Geor- 
gia Analytical  Repository,  and  from  the  '3d  Number  of  that 
Work  it  is  now  transcribed. 

"  Rev.  and  dear  Sir, 

"  I  take  my  pen  in  hand  to  transmit  to  you  good 
tidings.  A  great  work  of  God  is  going  on  in  the  upper 
parts  of  this  State.  Multitudes  are  made  to  cry  out, 
"  What  shall  we  do  to  be  saved  ?"  A  few  days  ago,  I  re- 
turned from  our  Association.  We  have  had  a  truly  re- 
freshing season.  A  vast  concourse  of  people  assembled 
on  Saturday,  and  considerable  appearances  of  solemnity 
soon  took  place  ;  but  no  uncommon  effect  till  Sunday 
late  in  the  evening.  Then  the  Lord  was  pleased  to  mani- 
fest his  power  to  many  hearts.  Numbers  were  power- 
fully exercised  through  the  whole  night,  and  some  were 
thrown  to  the  ground. 

"  On  Monday  the  work  increased.  The  hearts  of 
many  were  made  to  melt ;  and  several  men,  noted  for 
their  impiety,  were  stricken  and  lay  among  the  prostrate. 
I  must  acknowledge  it  was  a  memorable  time  with  my 
soul ;  the  like  I  had  not  felt  for  many  years  before.  In 
general,  the  people  were  much  engaged  through  the 
greater  part  of  Monday  night.  Before  sun-rise,  on  Tues- 
day morning,  the  sacred  flame  began  to  burn  afresh  ; 
several,  who  had  been  before  unaffected,  came  to  the 
earth.  The  Association  rose  about  3  o'clock  in  the  af- 
ternoon ;  and  such  a  degree  of  brotherly  affection  as 
appeared  among  the  ministers  and  messengers  of  the 
churches,  I  scarcely  ever  saw.  It  was  enough  to  melt 
the  heart  of  the  greatest  infidel  living.  So  very  in- 
tent were  the  people  to  hear,  that  they  petitioned  for 
preaching,  after  business  was  finished  ;  and  some  of  the 
ministers  continued  with  them,  in  constant  exercise,  till 
midnight.  During  this  time,  the  work  appeared  to  in- 
crease. About  twenty  persons  came  to  the  ground,  sev- 
eral of  whom  were  lusty  strong  men  ;  and  many  more 
were  made  to  pray  heartily  to  God.  Among  the  nu; 
very  deeply  affected,  were  several  officers  of  considerable 
n\nk.  and  others  cf  equal  respectability.  Be  assur- 


It3  6  Happy  Influence  of  the  Revival. 

ed,    my  brother,  the  Lord  is    doing    great    things  for 
his  people  in  this  country. 

"  The  hearts  of  sinners  melt  before  the  word  of  truth, 
like  wax  before  the  sun.  Infidelity  is  almost  ashamed  to 
show  its  head.  Several  deists  have  been  constrained, 
under  a  sense  of  their  lost  condition,  to  cry  out  aloud  for 
mercy.  A  few,  even  of  those  who  attributed  the  effects 
produced  among  us  to  infernal  agency,  have  been  reached, 
and  overcome  by  an  influence,  which  they  now  acknowl- 
edge to  be  divine. 

"  The  work  under  the  preaching  of  the  Presbyterian 
ministers,  is  going  on  rapidly  indeed,  and  has  already  ex- 
tended northwardly  into  Virginia  and  through  the  upper 
country  southwardly  to  Georgia.  The  clergy  of  all  de- 
nominations, join  hand  and  heart,  in  the  common  cause  of 
Christianity.  In  some  of  the  churches  of  our  Association 
here,  the  great  revival  is  but  just  beginning ;  in  others  it 
rapidly  increases. 

"  Among  the  most  successful  of  our  ministers  in  this 
work,  are  the  brethren  Slackleford,  Palmer,  Holland, 
Clayton,  and  Greer.  Besides  their  churches  flourishing 
to  a  degree  that  exceeds  all  former  experience,  there  are 
several  others  where  the  work  is  almost  as  great ;  and 
very  few  without  some  promising  appearances.  Ministers 
preach  day  and  night ;  and  when  they  make  no  appoint- 
ments, are  surrounded  by  distressed  souls.  These  are 
daily  obtaining  the  most  satisfactory  sense  of  peace  with 
God,  and  pardon  through  the  blood  of  Christ.  After  be- 
lieving, they  openly  profess  their  faith,  and  crowd  into  our 
churches. 

"  A  few  weeks  past,  Mr.  Slackleford  baptized  thirty- 
six  at  one  time.  Two  of  those  were  little  girls ;  one  was 
twelve,  and  the  other  but  ten  years  old,  yet  they  both  gave 
satisfactory  evidence  of  a  gracious  change.  With  these  I 
must  mention  two  lads,  but  little  past  those  ages,  and  sev- 
eral young  ladies  of  nearly  the  first  respectability  in  the 
back  country,  who  were  not  ashamed  to  follow  Christ 
through  the  liquid  grave.  On  this  occasion,  it  was  sup- 
posed, that  there  were  no  less  than  two  thousand  persons 
present ;  a  third  of  whom,  at  least,  were  in  tears  at  the  same 
moment  of  time.  Crowds  came  up  to  the  ministers  to  be 
prayed  for,  and  many  fell  helpless  on  the  ground.  This 


Dr.  Fur  man's  Letter  respecting  a  Camp-Meeting.     J67 

took  place  at  Woodruff's  meeting-house,  in  the  district 
of  Spartanburgh.  The  number  baptized  in  our  Associa- 
tion, since  last  year,  is  seven  hundred  and  three. 

"  God  has  greatly  magnified,  and  is  marvellously  mag- 
nifying his  word.  In  some  way  and  degree  or  other,  al- 
most every  one  seems  to  feel  and  acknowledge  its  power. 
My  poor  soul,  some  time  ago  much  dejected  and  bowed 
down,  is  now  rejoicing  in  God  my  Saviour.  At  this  in- 
stant my  eyes  overflow  with  tears  of  gratitude  and  joy, 
while  the  flame  of  divine  love  burns  in  my  heart. 

Yours,  &c.  D.  L." 

A  Letter  from  Dr.  Furman   of  Charleston,  to  Dr.  Rippon  of 

London. 

Charleston,  1 1  th  Aug.  \  802. 
"  Rev.  and  dear  Sir, 

"  Having  promised  you  some  imformation  respecting 
the  extraordinary  meeting  at  the  Waxhaws,  to  which  I 
purposed  going  at  the  time  I  wrote  in  May,  and  having 
accordingly  attended  it,  I  now  sit  down  to  perform  my 
promise. 

"  It  was  appointed  by  the  Presbyterian  clergy  in  that 
part  of  the  country,  but  clergymen  of  other  denomina- 
tions were  invited  to  it  ;  and  it  was  proposed  to  be  con- 
ducted on  the  same  principles  and  plan  with  those  held 
in  Kentucky.  The  place  of  meeting  is  about  17O  miles 
from  Charleston,  in  the  midst  of  a  large  settlement  of 
Presbyterians,  but  not  far  distant  from  some  congrega- 
tions of  Baptists  and  Methodists.  This  Presbyterian 
congregation  is  one  of  the  first  which  were  formed  in 
the  upper  parts  of  this  State  ;  has  for  its  pastor  a  Mr. 
Brown,  who  is  a  respectable  character  ;  and  is  furnished 
with  a  commodious  place  of  worship.  But  as  the  place 
of  worship  would  not  be  in  any  wise  equal  to  the  num- 
bers expected,  a  place  was  chosen  in  the  forest  for  an 
encampment.  The  numbers  which  assembled  from  va- 
rious parts  of  the  country,  formed  a  very  large  congrega- 
tion, the  amount  of  which  has  been  variously  estimated  ; 
to  me  there  appeared  to  be  3000,  or  perhaps  4000  per- 
sons ;  but  some  supposed  there  were  7000  or  80OO.  My 
information  respecting  the  number  of  ministers  who  at- 
tended, was  probably  not  correct  j  but  from  what  I  ob- 


163  Dr.  Funnan's  Letter. 

served,  and  collected  from  others,  there  were  11  Presby- 
terians, 4  Baptists,  and  3  Methodists.  The  encampment 
was  laid  out  in  an  oblong  form,  extending  from  the  top 
of  a  hill  down  the  south  side  of  it,  toward  a  stream  of 
water,  which  ran  at  the  bottom  in  an  eastern  direction, 
including  a  vacant  space  of  about  300  yards  in  length 
and  1.-3O  in  breadth.  Lines  of  tents  were  erected  on  ev- 
ery side  of  this  space ;  and  between  them,  and  behind, 
were  the  waggons  and  riding  carriages  placed  ;  the  space 
itself  being  reserved  for  the  assembling  of  the  congrega- 
tion, or  congregations  rather,  to  attend  publick  worship. 
Two  stands  were  fixed  on  for  this  purpose  :  at  the  one, 
a  stage  was  erected  under  some  lofty  trees,  which  afford- 
ed an  ample  shade  ;  at  the  other,  which  was  not  so 
well  provided  with  shade,  a  waggon  was  placed  for  the 
rostrum. 

tc  The  publick  service  began  on  Friday  afternoon,  the 
21st  of  May,  with  a  sermon  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  M'Corkel, 
of  the  Presbyterian  church ;  after  which,  the  congrega- 
tion was  dismissed  :  but  at  the  same  time  the  hearers 
were  informed,  that  they  would  be  visited  at  their  tents, 
and  exhorted  by  the  ministers,  during  the  course  of 
the  evening.  To  this  information  an  exhortation  was 
added,  that  they  would  improve  the  time  in  religious 
conversation,  earnest  prayer,  and  singing  the  praises  of 
God.  This  mode  of  improving  the  time,  both  by  the 
ministers  and  a  large  proportion  of  the  hearers,  was  strict- 
ly adhered  to  :  not  only  were  exhortations  given,  but 
many  sermons  also  were  preached  along  the  lines  in  the 
evening  ;  and  the  exercises  continued,  by  the  ministers 
in  general,  till  midnight  ;  and  by  the  Methodist  minis- 
ters, among  their  adherents,  nearly  or  quite  all  the  night. 

"  On  Saturday  morning,  the  ministers  assembled,  after 
an  early  breakfast,  and  appointed  a  committee  to  arrange 
the  services  for  that  day  and  the  two  following.  The 
committee  consisted  wholly  of  Presbyterian  ministers. 
They  soon  performed  the  work  of  their  appointment, 
and  assigned  the  several  ministers  present  their  respec- 
tive parts  of  the  service.  By  this  arrangement,  two  pub- 
lick  services  were  appointed  at  each  stand  for  that  day  ; 
three  for  the  Sabbath,  together  with  the  administration 
of  the  communion,  at  a  place  a  little  distant  from  the  en- 


Dr.  Furmaris  Letter.  169 

campment  j  and  two  at  each  stand  again  for  Monday. 
The  intervals,  and  evenings  in  particular,  to  be  improved 
in   the   same   manner   as   on   the  former   day.     Neces- 
sary business  calling  me  away  on  Sunday  evening,  I  did 
not  see  the  conclusion  of  the  meeting.     This,  however, 
I  can  say,  it  was  conducted  with  much  solemnity,  while 
1  was  at  it  ;  and  the  engagedness  of  the  people  appeared 
to  be  great.     Many  seemed  to  be  seriously  concerned  for 
the  salvation  of  their  souls  ;  and  the  preaching  and  ex- 
hortations of  the  ministers  in  general  were  well  calcu- 
lated to  inspire  right  sentiments,  and  make  right  impres- 
sions.    In  the  intervals  of  publick  worship,  the  voice  of 
praise  was  heard  among  the  tents  in  every  direction,  and 
frequently  that  of  prayer  by  private  Christians.     The 
communion  service  was  performed  with  much  apparent 
devotion,  while  1  attended,  which  was  at  the  serving  of 
the  first  table,     The  Presbyterians  and  Methodists  sat 
down   together  ;    but  the   Baptists,  on    the    principle 
which  has  generally  governed  them  on  this  subject,  ab- 
stained.    Several  persons  suffered  at  this  meeting  those 
bodily  affections,  which  have  been  before  experienced  at 
Kentucky,  North-Carolina,  and  at  other  places,  where 
the  extraordinary  revivals  in  religion  within  this  year 
or  two  have  taken  place.     Some  of  them  fell  instantane- 
ously, as  though  struck  with  lightning,  and  continued  in- 
sensible for  a  length  of  time  ;  others  were  more  mildly 
affected,  and  soon  recovered  their  bodily  strength,  with 
a  proper  command  of  their  mental  powers.     Deep  con- 
viction for  sin,  and  apprehension  of  the  wrath  of  God, 
was  professed  by  the  chief  of  them  at  first  ;  and  several 
of  them  afterwards  appeared  to  have  a  joyful  sense  of  par- 
doning mercy  through  a  Redeemer.     Others  continued 
under  a  sense  of  condemnation,  after  those  extraordinary 
bodily  affections  ceased  ;  and  some  from  the  first,  ap- 
peared to  be  more  affected  with  the  greatness  and  good- 
ness of  God,  and  with  the  love  of  Christ,  than  with  ap- 
prehensions of  divine  wrath.     In  a  few  cases  there  were 
indications,  as  I  conceived,  of  enthusiasm,  and  even  af* 
fectation  ;  but  in  others  a  strong  evidence  of  supernat- 
ural power  and  gracious  influence.     Several  received  the 
impression  in  their  tents  ;  others  in  a  still  more  retired 
situation,  quite  withdrawn  from  company  ;  some,  who 
VOL.  2.  22 


170  Dr.  Fitrman's  Letter. 

had  been  to  that  moment  in  opposition  to  what  was 
thus  going  on,  under  the  character  or  the  work  of  God  ; 
and  others,  who  had  been  till  then  careless.  The  num- 
ber of  persons  thus  affected,  while  I  was  present,  was 
not  great  in  proportion  to  the  multitude  attending.  I 
have,  indeed,  been  informed  several  more  were  affected 
the  evening  after  I  came  away,  and  the  next  day  ;  but 
in  all,  they  could  not  be  equal  to  the  proportional  num- 
bers which  were  thus  affected  at  some  other  meetings, 
especially  in  Kentucky.  Several,  indeed  a  very  conside'r- 
able  number,  had  gone  70  or  80  miles  from  the  lower 
parts  of  this  State  to  attend  this  meeting  ;  of  these,  a  pret- 
ty large  proportion  carne  under  the  above  described  im- 
pressions; and  since  their  return  to  their  house?,  an  extra- 
ordinary revival  has  taken  place  in  the  congregations  to 
which  they  belong.  It  has  spread  also  across  the  upper 
parts  of  this  State,  in  a  western  direction.  There  are 
some  favourable  appearances  in  several  of  the  Baptist 
churches ;  but  my  accounts  of  them  are  not  particular 
enough  to  be  transmitted.  Taking  it  for  granted  that 
you  have  seen  the  publication  entitled  "Surprizing  Ac- 
counts," by  Woodward,  of  Philadelphia,  containing  the 
accounts  of  revivals  in  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  and  North- 
Carolina,  I  therefore  say  nothing  of  them  ;  but  only, 
that  the  work  in  North- Carolina  increases  greatly  ;  op- 
position however  is  made  by  many  ;  -and  I  am  informed 
that  the  congregation,  of  which  I  have  been  writing 
so  much,  (that  at  the  Waxhaws)  is  likely  to  be  divided 
on  account  of  it  ;  and  that  Mr.  Brown  has  been  shut 
out  of  the  place  of  worship  since  the  meeting  was  held 
there,  by  some,  I  suppose  a  majority,  of  his  elders  and 
adherents.  A  particular  reason  of  the  offence  taken  by 
them,  as  I  have  understood,  was  the  practice  of  commun- 
ing with  the  Methodists.  Having  mentioned  this  de- 
nomination frequently,  I  think  it  proper  to  say,  that  it 
is  that  cla-s  of  Methodists  who  are  followers  of  Mr.  Wes- 
ley, which  is  intended ;  few  of  the  followers  of  Mr.  White- 
field  are  to  be  found  in  the  United  States,  not  at  least 
as  congregations.  These  general  meetings  have  a  great 
tendency  to  excite  the  attention,  and  engage  it  to  relig- 
ion. Were  there  no  other  argument  in  their  favour,  this 
alone  would  carry  great  weight  with  a  reflecting  mind ; 


Episcopacy  established  in  S.  C.  till  after  the  War.     171 

but  there  are  many  more  which  may  be  urged.  At 
the  same  time,  it  must  be  conceded  that  there  are  some 
incidental  evils  which  attend  them,  and  give  pain  to  one 
who  feels  a  just  regard  for  religion.  Men  of  an  enthu- 
siastick  disposition  have  a  favourable  opportunity  at 
them  of  diffusing  their  spirit,  and  they  do  not  fail  to 
improve  the  opportunity  for  this  purpose ;  and  the  too 
free  intercourse  between  the  sexes  in  such  an  encamp- 
ment is  unfavourable.  However,  1  hope  the  direct  good 
obtained  from  these  meetings  will  much  more  than  coun- 
terbalance the  incidental  evil. 

"  I  am,  reverend  and  dear  Sir,  your  friend  and  servant 
in  the  gospel,  RICHARD  FURMAN." 

Most  of  the  first  settlers  of  South-Carolina  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  of  England  ;  Episcopacy  of  course 
became  the  established  religion  of  the  Province,  and  re- 
mained so  until  after  the  American  war,  when,  by  the 
State  Constitution,  all  denominations  were  placed  on  a 
level  as  it  respects  the  favours  of  government.  During 
the  Provincial  government,  dissenting  ministers  were 
not  permitted  to  celebrate  the  rites  of  matrimony  ;  large 
glebe  lands  were  appropriated  for  the  benefit  of  the  cler- 
gy, which  the  society  still  hold,  and  the  money  to  build 
their  churches  was  drawn  from  the  publick  treasury. 
These  were  some  of  the  exclusive  privileges  which  the 
civil  government  conferred  on  the  Episcopal  establish- 
ment. But  it  does  not  appear  that  the  Baptists  or  any 
dissenters  have  ever  been  much  molested  in  this  gov- 
ernment, either  by  corporal  punishments  or  those  per- 
plexing, provoking,  and  rapacious,  things,  called  in  New- 
England  ministerial  taxes. 

Though  the  Baptists,  as  a  denomination,  have  never 
ouffered  much  persecution  in  a  legal  form,  yet  some  in- 
dividuals, and  especially  a  number  of  their  ministers, 
have  suffered  from  the  improper  interference  of  unwor- 
thy magistrates  and  unauthorized  and  bigotted  persons. 
Morgan  Edwards  gives  the  following  account  of  the 
arbitrary  proceedings  of  a  magistrate  near  the  Cheraws 
on  Pedee  River,  by  the  name  of  Alexander  Gordon,  who 
is  said  to  have  been  a  Presbyterian  :  "  One  Joseph  Gates 
held  a  meeting  in  his  neighbourhood.  His  worship  pre- 


172  The  Separate  Baptists  settle  in  Georgia. 

sently  fetched  the  aggressor  coram  ncbis,  and  got  three 
others  to  assist  him  to  form  a  spiritual  court.  The 
preacher  was  then  asked,  "  Who  gave  you  authority  to 
preach  ?"  He  replied,  "  The  same  that  gave  the  apostle 
Paul  authority."  Upon  which,  his  worship  angrily  said, 
"  He  blasphemeth  !  WThat  say  you,  gentlemen  ?"  The 
gentlemen  were  of  his  mind,  and  the  Baptist  preacher 
was  severely  whipt.  The  thing  gave  great  offence  in  the 
neighbourhood,  insomuch  that  his  worship  found  it  req- 
uisite to  propagate  evil  reports  concerning  the  preacher's 
moral  character,  in  order  to  justify  the  action  ;  for  per- 
secutors always  represent  the  persecuted  as  devils  rather 
than  men.'* 

But  these  days  of  rancour  and  opposition  are  past. 
The  Baptists  are  now  a  large,  respectable,  and  indeed 
powerful  body,  and  are  more  in  danger  of  being  affected 
to  their  disadvantage  by  prosperity  than  adversity.  The 
communicants  and  adherents  in  South-Carolina  are  esti- 
mated by  Dr.  Furman  at  upwards  of  7O,(XX)  souls,  which 
is  more  than  one-sixth  of  the  population  of  the  whole 
Stare. 

The  Education  Fund  belonging  to  the  Charleston  As- 
sociation, with  Mr.  Roberts's  Academy,  and  the  funds 
which  have  been  collected  for  defraying  the  expenses  of 
the  mission  to  the  Catawba  Indians,  will  be  noticed  un- 
der the  respective  heads  of  Literary  and  Missionary  affairs. 


CHAP.  XII. 

GEORGIA. 

THE  first  settlements  in  Georgia  were  made  in  1733. 
Mr.  Edwards  informs  us,  that  among  the  first  settlers 
were  some  Baptists,  particularly  William  Calvert  of  Lin- 
coln^hire,  William  Slack  of  Ireland,  Thomas  Walker  -of 
Ncniunipfon,  and  one  Polhill.*  Calvert  and  Polhill 
were  preachers,  though  not  ordained.  But  the  Baptist 

*  F  ::ii'-  v  as  the  grandfather  of  the  present  Thomas  Polhill,  ct  Ne^ingtoo, 
who  writes  me,  that  it  is  doubtful  iu  his  mind  whether  he  was  a  Bpptist. 


The  Kioka  Church  founded.  173 

interest  was  very  small  in  this  State,  for  about  forty  years 
after  its  settlement.  There  were  but  four  churches  in 
the  whole  province  when  Mr.  Edwards  visited  it,  about 
3772;  these  were  not  large,  and  most  of  them  were 
newly  formed.  But  a  little  before  this  period  the  zeal- 
ous Separates  began  to  emigrate  hither  :  great  success 
attended  their  labours;  many  churches  were  soon  raised 
up  ;  and  from  their  introduction  to  the  present  time,  the 
Baptist  cause  has  had  a  gradual,  and  in  many  instances 
a  rapid  prevalence  throughout  most  parts  of  the  State  ;  so 
that  Georgia  now  contains  more  of  our  denomination 
than  any  of  the  southern  States,  Virginia  excepted. 

Although  the  Baptists  in  Georgia  made  their  first  ap- 
pearance in  the  low  countries,  yet  they  never  had  much 
success  there,  until  within  about  twenty  "years  past  ;  but 
they  have  been  numerous  in  the  upper  country  for  about 
forty  years,  which  makes  it  proper  that  we  should  relate 
their  history  first. 

The  Church  on  Kioka  Creek  is  the  oldest  in  Georgia  ; 
it  belongs  to  the  Georgia  Association,  and  was  gathered 
by  that  famous  Baptist  minister,  Daniel  Marshall.  This 
church  was  organized  in  1772;  it  is  situated  about  18 
miles  above  Augusta,  in  the  county  of  Columbia,  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  two  Kioka  Creeks,  which  empty 
into  the  Savannah  river  within  one  mile  of  each  other. 
Mr.  Daniel  Marshall's  name  has  been  often  mentioned 
in  the  preceding  part  of  our  history,  and  in  his  biog- 
raphy the  reader  may  find  his  character  more  fully  delin- 
eated. After  sojourning  in  many  places  in  Virginia  and 
the  Carolinas,  he,  in  1771,  removed  from  the  neighbour- 
ing part  of  South-Carolina,  and  settled  on  the  largest  of 
the  Kioka  Creeks,  where  he  resided  to  the  close  of  his 
useful  life.  It  will  be  remembered  by  the  reader,  that 
Mr.  Marshall  was  a  Separate  Baptist,  and  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal founders  of  that  extensive  community.  A  number 
of  his  brethren  had  removed  to  Georgia  before  him  ; 
some  he  found  in  the  neighbourhood  where  he  settled, 
and  others  were  scattered  in  different  parts  of  the  coun- 
try ;  and  this  dispersion  of  the  brethren  laid  the  founda- 
tion for  a  number  of  churches,  which  were  raised  up 
not  long  after, 


174  Ministers  and  Churches  raised  up. 

The  Kioka  church  has  been  an  important  establishment, 
having  been  the  nursery  of  a  number  of  useful  ministers, 
and  the  mother  of  many  churches.  Samuel  Newton, 
Abraham  Marshall,  Alexander  Scott,  Silas  Mercer,  Love- 
less Savage,  Thomas  Mercer,  Samuel  Cartlidge,  John 
and  James  Saunders,  John  Stanford,  and  John  Boy  d,  are 
among  the  ministerial  sons,  which  she  hath  sent  forth 
into  the  Lord's  vineyard.  The  founder  of  this  church 
was  remarkable  for  encouraging  his  brethren  in  the  ex- 
ercise of  the  gifts  with  which  they  were  endowed.  It 
was  a  common  saying  with  him,  "  I  would  that  all  the 
Lord's  servants  were  prophets."  During  the  troubles 
occasioned  by  the  American  war,  many  of  the  Baptists 
among  others  fled  from  the  country  ;  but  Mr.  Marshall 
maintained  his  post,  and  with  very  few  exceptions  held 
his  meetings  regularly  through  the  whole  of  the  war. 
On  the  return  of  peace,  the  refugees  returned  to  their 
deserted  homes  and  almost  ruined  possessions  ;  and  with 
them  a  flood  of  emigrants,  many  of  whom  were  Baptists, 
poured  into  the  country  from  many  of  the  more  north- 
ern States,  and  the  Kioka  church  soon  began  to  increase, 
and  has  generally  been  in  a  flourishing  condition  from 
that  to  the  present  time.  This  church  has  experienced 
a  number  of  very  precious  revivals.  In  1787,  about  one 
hundred  were  baptized  by  their  present  pastor,  Rev. 
Abraham  Marshall,  the  worthy  son  and  successor  of  Dan- 
iel. The  next  remarkable  ingathering  here  was  about 
18O2,  in  the  time  of  the  great  revival,  which  prevailed 
most  powerfully  at  that  time  in  many  parts  of  Georgia. 
The  religious  attention  at  Kioka  was  very  great  ;  two  or 
three  camp-meetings  were,  from  necessity,  held  in  the 
neighbourhood,  in  which  some  of  the  most  affecting  scenes 
of  joy  and  sorrow,  of  depression  and  transport  were  ex- 
hibited. In  this  revival,  Mr.  Marshall  baptized  about 
iOO  more. 

This  church  had  two  temporary  buildings  for  publick 
worship,  which  had  gone  to  decay  before  their  present 
meeting-house  was  erected,  which  is  a  commodious  brick 
building,  60  feet  by  4-O. 

The  aged  Daniel  Marshall  died  in  1784,  and  his  son 
Abraham  succeeded  him  in  the  pastoral  office,  in  which 
he  still  continues.  Mr.  Marshall  was  born  at  Windsor, 


Georgia  Association.  175 

near  the  city  of  Hartford,  in  Connecticut,  in  1750.  He 
was  only  three  years  old,  when  his  father,  excited,  as  he 
supposed,  by  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  literally 
left  all,  and  went  to  preach  to  the  Mohawk  Indians. 
Here  young  Abraham,  as  he  with  much  pleasantry  in- 
forms his  friends,  received  the  rudiments  of  his  education  ; 
for  the  first  things  he  remembers,  were  smoking  wig- 
wams, and  their  tawny,  untutored  inhabitants.  He  re- 
mained with  his  pious  parent  in  all  his  excursions,  and 
was,  when  he  settled  in  Georgia,  about  '21  years  of  age. 
He  had  began  to  preach  a  short  time  before.  He  has  now- 
been  in  the  ministry  more  than  forty  years,  is  extensively 
known  and  much  respected ;  and  more  than  this,  the 
maxims  we  have  adopted  will  not  permit  us  to  say. 
Some  account  of  his  vi  it  to  New- England  in  1786,  may 
be  found  in  the  biography  of  his  kinsman  Eliakim  Mar- 
shall. 

We  have  thus  briefly  related  the  history  of  the  church, 
which  the  venerable  Daniel  Marshall,  in  his  old  age, 
founded  in  this  State  ;  and  as  we  have  obtained  but  a  few 
scattering  hints  concerning  the  other  churches,  which 
were  founded  shortly  after,  we  shall  pass  on  to  take 
some  notice  of  the  Associations,  which  have  originated 
from  these  early  establishments,  and  intersperse  with 
their  history  whatever  we  may  think  proper  to  mention 
concerning  the  ministers  or  churches  which  they  have 
or  may  now  comprehend.  These  Associations  are  the 
Georgia,  Hephzibah,  Sarepta,  and  Oakmulgee,  most  of 
them  are  large  and  all  of  them  respectable  communi- 
ties. 

GEORGIA  ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  being  the  oldest,  demands  our  first  attention. 
It  was  organized  in  ]  784,  thirteen  years  after  Daniel 
Marshall  settled  at  Kioka.  As  the  Minutes  of  its  first, 
meetings  were  not  printed,  nor  its  records  preserved,  it; 
cannot  be  ascertained  of  what  number  of  churches  it 
was  at  first  composed.  In  1786,  two  years  after  its  for- 
mation, it  contained  the  ten  following,  viz.  Kioka, 
Fishing  Creek,  Upton's  Creek,  Philip's  Mill,  Whatley's 
Mill,  Long  Creek,  Long  Creek  of  Ogechee,  Providence 
nn  Rocky  Comfort  Creek,  Powel's  Creek,  and  Van's 


176  David  Timky  receives  four  Ordinations. 

Creek.  The  number  of  members  was,  at  that  time, 
only  518,  and  the  principal  ministers  were  Saunders 
Walker,  Jephtha  Vining,  Dozier  Thornton,  Peter  Smith, 
Abraham  Marshall,  Mark  Cook,  Silas  Mercer,  Thomas 
Mercer,  and  John  Harvey.  Jeremiah  Walker,  David 
Tinsley,  and  Matthew  Talbot  removed  into  the  country 
soon  after  the  date  above  mentioned.  Most  of  the 
abovenamed  preachers  were  eminent  among  the  Bap- 
tists and  extensively  useful  in  their  day,  and  with  very 
few  exceptions  removed  hither,  as  did  most  of  their 
Baptist  brethren  from  North- Carolina  and  Virginia. 
For  an  account  of  the  famous  Silas  Mercer,  see  his  biog- 
raphy. Thomas  Mercer,  his  half  brother,  has  gone  to 
the  Missisippi  Territory,  and  belongs  to  the  small  As- 
sociation which  has  there  been  formed.  The  mutable 
and  spotted  character  of  Jeremiah  Walker  is  given  in 
his  biography,  as  is  that  of  the  meek  and  exemplary 
Saunders  Walker,  his  natural  brother.  Peter  Smith  has 
removed  to  the  State  of  Ohio,  and  belongs  to  the  Mia- 
mi Association.  David  Tinsley  died  in  Georgia,  and  is 
well  spoken  of.  He  was  one  of  the  early  Separate 
preachers  in  Virginia,  where  he  was  a  number  of  times 
imprisoned,  and  once  in  company  with  Jeremiah  Walker. 
Mr.  Tinsley  received  four  ordinations.  The  first  was 
to  the  office  of  a  deacon,  the  second  to  that  of  a  ruling  el- 
der, his  third  ordination  was  to  the  oflice  of  preaching 
the  gospel,  and  in  the  fourth  place  he  was  ordained  an 
evangelist  by  Col.  Samuel  Harris,  while  he  officiated  in 
the  dignified  character  of  the  Apostle  of  Virginia. 

The  Georgia  Association  has  abounded  with  ministers, 
who  were  either  nurtured  within  its  bounds,  or  received 
among  them  from  other  parts  ;  but  as  so  many  have 
been  dismissed  to  other  Associations,  its  present  number 
is  not  great ;  but  among  them  are  yet  retained  Abraham 
Marshall  and  Jesse  Mercer.  Something  has  been  said  of 
Mr.  Marshall  already.  Jesse  Mercer  is  a  son  of  the  late 
worthy  Silas  Mercer.  He  was  born  in  Halifax  county, 
North-Carolina,  1769.  It  was  soon  after  his  birth,  that 
his  father,  as  may  be  seen  in  his  biography,  got  the 
church  parson  to  dip  two  of  his  children  in  a  barrel  of 
water  which  he  had  prepared  for  the  purpose.  When 
he  became  a  believer,  he  was  baptized  again  ;  so  that 


Jesse  Mercer's  useful  Labours- 

Mercer  is  truly  an  Anabaptist.  He  was  ordained  when 
he  was  about  2O  years  of  age,  and  has  now  been  in  the 
ministry  more  than  twenty  years.  He  travelled  consid- 
erably in  his  younger  days,  but  for  a  number  of  years 
past,  has  been  stationed  in  the  care  of  four  large  church- 
es, viz.  Whatley's  Mill,  Philip's  Mill,  Powelton,  and  Sar- 
dis,  formerly  called  Hutton's  Fork  ;  all  of  which  were 
gathered  by  his  father,  and  supplied  by  him  during  his 
life.  There  are  other  preachers  belonging  to  these 
churches,  but  Mr.  Mercer  is  considered  their  pastor,  and 
preaches  and  administers  the  Lord's  Supper  to  them  in 
rotation  once  in  four  weeks  ;  and  whenever  a  month  has 
five  Lord's  days  in  it,  he  leaves  his  circle,  to  visit  some 
of  the  neighbouring  churches.  All  the  above-mentioned 
churches  are  large  and  wealthy,  and  by  their  united  ef- 
forts afford  their  circulating  pastor  only  a  moderate  sup- 
port. But  either  of  them  might  well  enough  support 
him  alone  ;  and  whether  they  continue  this  practice,  so 
disadvantageous  to  themselves  and  so  laborious  to  their 
pastor,  because  they  are  mutually  unwilling  to  part  with 
him  or  with  a  little  more  of  their  carnal  things,  is  not 
our  province  to  say.  Mr.  Mercer  certainly  merits  their 
esteem  ;  but  they  would  find  no  difficulty  in  procuring  ac- 
ceptable pastors,  if  they  would  set  about  it  properly.  We 
observed  something  on  the  circumstance  of  one  minister 
supplying  a  number  of  churches,  in  the  close  of  our  his- 
tory of  the  Virginia  Baptists,  and  there  proposed  to 
speak  more  definitely  of  the  matter  in  the  chapter  of 
general  observations. 

But  to  return :  The  Association  of  which  we  are 
speaking,  increased  very  fast  for  a  number  of  years  from 
the  date  last  mentioned,  so  that,  in  1790,  it  contained 
34  churches  and  2877  members. 

In  1796,  a  number  of  churches  were  dismissed  to 
form  the  Hephzibah  Association.  Only  two  years  after, 
seven  churches  more  were  dismissed  from  this  increas- 
ing establishment,  which  united  under  the  name  of  the 
Sarepta  Association.  And  in  1810,  another  detachment 
was  taken  off  to  form  an  Association  by  the  name  of 
Oakmulgee.  But  after  all  these  dismissions,  this  flourish- 
ing body  contains  upwards  of  thirty  churches,  and  mere 
than  two  thousand  communicant?. 

YOL.  2,  23 


178  Hcpbxiba&  and  Sarepta  Associations. 

HEPHZIBAH  ASSOCIATION. 

IN  1794,  eighteen  churches  were  dismissed  from  the 
Georgia  Association,  and  by  them  the  Hephzibah  was 
soon  after  formed.  But  little  more  can  be  said  respect- 
ing it,  than  that  it  has  moved  on  in  harmony  and  order, 
and  lias  experienced  some  refreshing  seasons.  Benjamin 
Davis,  Thomas  Mercer,  John  Stanford,  William  Frank- 
lin, John  Harvey,  Joseph  Baker,  George  Granbury, 
"William  Cone,  and  David  M'Cullers  were  its  principal 
ministers  at  the  time  of  constitution.  Some  of  them 
have  since  died,  some  have  removed  to  other  parts,  and 
others  have  succeeded  them.  This  body  contains  but 
few  preachers  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  churches, 
and  all  we  can  say  of  them  is,  that  they  are  a  plain,  la- 
borious, and  pious  set  of  men,  who  labour  six  days  in 
the  week  for  the  support  of  their  families,  and  the 
seventh  for  the  good  of  souls. 

The  churches  which  compose  this  Association  are 
situated  mostly  in  the  counties  of  Washington,  Burk, 
Warren,  Laurens,  Wilkinson,  Jefferson,  Bullash,  Liberty, 
Tatnall,  Effingfour,  and  Twiggs.  They  are  on  both 
sides  of  the  Ogechee  and  Oconee  rivers,  and  some  of  them 
are  between  the  rivers  Oconee  and  Oakmulgee,  and  ex- 
tend down  the  country  within  50  or  60  miles  of  the  sea- 
coast. 

SAREPTA  ASSOCIATION. 

IN  1798,  seven  churches  were  dismissed  from  the 
Georgia  Association,  and  in  due  form  were  organized 
under  the  name  of  the  Sarepta  Association.  The  names 
of  these  churches  were  Shoal  Creek,  Van's  Creek,  Dove's 
Creek,  Hollow  Spring,  Cabbin  Creek,  Nail's  Creek, 
Millstone,  and  Trail  Creek.  All  of  them  then  were  in  the 
upper  settlements  in  the  State.  Dazier  Thornton,  John 
Cleaveland,  William  Davis,  Thomas  Johnson,  and  Thom- 
as Gilbert  were  the  ministers  of  the  above-mentioned 
churches. 

The  Sarepta  Association  has  enjoyed  great  prosperity 
and  enlargement,  and  received  large  additions  in  the 
time  of  the  great  revival  about  1 802. 


Oakmulgee  Association.  173 

The  churches  of  this  Association  are  situated  along 
t^e  south  side  of  the  Savannah  river,  and  extend  from 
the  mourh  of  Broad  river  of  Georgia,  which  empties 
into  the  Savannah  about  fifty  miles  above  Augusta,  to 
the  highest  settlements  in  the  State  in  that  direction, 
They  also  extend  out  into  the  country  as  far  as  the  river 
Oconee.  They  are  scattered  over  many  counties,  but 
most  of  them  are  in  those  of  Elbert,  Oglethorpe,  Jackson, 
and  Franklin.  Two  of  them  are  over  the  Savannah  in 
South-Carolina. 

OAKMULGEE  ASSOCIATION. 

A  FEW  years  since,  a  large  tract  of  land,  high  up  in 
Georgia,  was  purchased  of  the  Indians,  and  their  claim 
to  it  forever  extinguished.  This  tract  is  called  by  the 
Georgians  the  New  Purchase.  Being  a  healthy  and  fer- 
tile country,  it  was  settled  with  great  rapidity,  and  the 
seat  of  government  has  been  removed  from  Louisville 
on  the  Ogechee  to  Milledgeville,  which  has  here  been 
erected. 

Many  Baptist  churches  were  in  a  short  time  gathered 
in  the  New  Purchase.  They  united  with  the  Georgia 
Association  ;  but  many  of  them  were  very  remote  from 
the  centre  of  that  body,  which  led  them  to  think  of 
forming  an  Association  among  themselves.  According- 
ly, in  Oct.  1810,  about  twenty  churches  petitioned  the 
mother  body  for  a  dismission,  which  was  granted.  A 
number  of  newly  constituted  churches,  which  had  not 
associated,  united  with  them  ;  and  in  November  of  the 
same  year,  they  organized  a  body  to  which  they  gave 
the  name  of  the  Oakmulgee  Association.  The  next 
year,  six  more  newly  established  churches  were  added 
to  this  confederacy;  so  that  now  (1811)  it  contains 
thirty-four  churches  and  1885  communicants.  The 
churches  of  this  Association  are  situated  between  the 
Oconee  and  Oakmulgee  rivers,  and  are  scattered  over 
an  extent  of  country  of  from  thirty  to  thirty-five  miles 
wide,  and  from  sixty  to  seventy  miles  in  length,  and 
are  mostly  in  the  counties  of  Randolph,  Morgan,  Putnam^ 
Baldwin,  and  Jones, 


180     Some  of  the  Orphan-bouse  People  become  Baptists. 

It  is  now  about  forty  years  since  Daniel  Marshall  set- 
tled in  Georgia  ;  and  in  this  time  it  appears  that  the  Bap- 
tists,  which  proceeded  directly  or  indirectly  from  the 
Separate  connexion,  have  increased  to  about  a  hundred 
and  forty  churches,  and  not  far  from  eleven  thousand 
members. 

We  shall  now  proceed  to  treat  of  our  brethren  in  the 
low  country,  and  also  to  give  some  account  of  the  Savan- 
nah-river Association. 

Unfortunately  for  this  part  of  our  history,  Mr.  Ed- 
wards's  sixth  volume  of  Manuscript  Materials,  which  re- 
lated  wholly  to  the  Baptists  in  Georgia,  has  all  been 
destroyed,  except  one  leaf  and  part  of  another.  This 
volume  must  have  been  small,  as  it  was  written  about 
forty  years  ago,  when  the  Baptists  had  never  flourished 
much  in  the  province.  From  the  defaced  and  perishing 
remains  of  this  volume,  I  find  the  following  sketches. 
"  About  the  year  1759,  eight  families  of  the  Seventh-day 
Baptists  settled  near  Tuckaseeking."  More  will  be 
said  respecting  them  in  the  history  of  that  people. 

"  In  the  year  1757,  Nicholas  Bedgegood,  of  the  Or- 
phan»house,  embraced  the  sentiments  of  the  Baptists, 
and  was  soon  after  baptized  by  Oliver  Hart,  of  Charles- 
ton. In  1763,  he  baptized  Mr.  Benjamin  Stirk  and  wife, 
Thomas  Dixon,  and  one  Dupree  ;  these,  with  a  few  oth- 
er Baptists,  had  the  Lord's  Supper  administered  to  them, 
at  the  Orphan-house,  by  Mr.  Bedgegood.  But  Mr. 
Stirk  removing  to  Goshen,  Dupree  dying,  and  Dixon 
going  to  England,  the  society  broke  up,  to  the  no  small 
satisfaction  of  Mr.  Whitefield,  whose  righteous  soul  had 
been  so  vexed  with  the  matter,  that  he  spake  unadvisedly 
with  his  lips."  From  the  time  of  this  dispersion,  there 
always  have  been  Baptists  in  this  region,  but  no  church 
was  formed  until  a  number  of  years  after.  Accord- 
ing to  Mr.  Edwards,  there  were,  in  1772,  "about  forty 
Baptist  families,  scattered  over  the  southern  parts  of 
Georgia,  and  amongst  them  were  about  fifty  baptized 
persons,  most  of  whom  were  emigrants  from  other  colo- 
nies, and  some  from  the  old  country." 

In  the  year  1771,  Rev.  Edmund  Botsford,  now  of 
Georgetown,  South-Carolina,  who  was  then  young,  be- 
gan to  preach  at  Tuckaseeking,  and  continued  to  labou* 


Mr.  Botsford  preaches  in  Georgia.  181 

with  much  success  in  different  parts  of  Georgia,  for  the 
space  of  about  eight  years  ;  but  the  distractions  of  the 
American  war  obliged  him  to  make  a  precipitate  flight 
from  the  country,  with  the  loss  of  about  £300  ster- 
ling, which  he  had  but  a  little  while  before  received  from 
England. 

"When  Mr.  Botsford  began  his  ministry  in  Georgia, 
Daniel  Marshall  was  the  only  ordained  minister  in  the 
State ;  but  besides  him,  there  were  Abraham  Marshall, 
Saunders  Walker,  and  Solomon  Thompson,  who  were 
not  ordained.  Between  Mr.  Botsford  and  these  men, 
there  was  not,  at  first,  a  very  intimate  connexion.  The 
reason  was,  that  they  were  of  the  Separate  order,  and 'he 
was  a  Regular  Baptist ;  and  besides,  the  scene  of  his  labours 
was  generally  much  lower  down  the  country  than  theirs. 
But  the  suspicions  of  the  Separates  gradually  subsided  ; 
Mr.  Botsford  was  by  degrees  admitted  to  their  fellow- 
ship and  affection  ;  and  before  he  fled  from  the  country, 
the  hindrances  to  their  union  were  so  far  removed,  that 
they  zealously  and  successfully  co-operated  in  their  evan- 
gelical exertions. 

During  five  years  of  Mr.  Botsford's  residence  in  Geor- 
gia, that  is,  from  1773,  when  he  was  ordained,  to  1779, 
he  baptized  148  persons,  and  founded  two  churches; 
the  first  was  called  New  Savannah,  and  was  organized  in 
1773.  This  church  now  belongs  to  the  Hephzibah  As- 
sociation, under  the  name  of  Botsford  Old  Meeting-House, 
Mr.  Botsford  preached  here  but  a  short  time ;  for  the 
next  year  after  the  church  was  formed,  a  war  broke  out 
with  the  Creek  Indians,  which  obliged  him  to  leave  the 
place.  He  next  settled  on  Briar  Creek,  at  some  distance, 
where  another  church  was  soon  founded,  which  also  be- 
longs to  the  Hephzibah  Association.  A  number  of  the- 
constituent  members  of  this  church  had  previously  united 
with  the  Ewhaw  church,  in  South-Carolina,  then  under 
the  pastoral  care  of  Rev.  Francis  Pelot.* 

*  The  following  anecdotes  of  Mr.  Botsford,  while  he  laboured  in  George, 
may  not  he  unacceptable  to  the  reader.  Once  on  a  journey  up  to  the  Kioka, 
wh'ere  he  had  appointed  to  preach,  he  called  at  a  Mr.  Savidge'g  to  inquire 
the  way.  This  Mr.  Savidge  was  then  a.  bigotted  churchman,  but  was  hope- 
fully acquainted  with  the  truth.  Alter  he  had  given  the  stranger  proper  di- 
rections, the  following  conversation  ensued  :  "  1  suppose  \  on  are  tne  paptist 
minister,  who  is  to  preach  tc-duy  at  the  Kioka."  •'  Yes,  Sir  ;  will  you  go  ?* 
M  No,  I  am  not  fond  of  the  Baptists ;  they  think  nobody  is  baptised  but  them- 


182  Anecdotes  of  Mr.  Botsford. 

Before  Mr.  Bedgegood  left  the  Orphan -house  for 
South-Carolina,  he  baptized  a  number  of  persons  besides 
those  who  have  been  named,  and  among  them  was  the 
mother  of  Rev.  Thomas  Polhill,  of  Newington.  There 
were  about  this  time  a  few  Baptist  members  at  Goshen, 
Tuckaseeking,  and  other  places  ;  and  Benjamin  Stirk  ap- 
pears to  have  been  the  most  distinguished  and  active 
character  among  them.  He  was  a  native  of  Leeds,  York- 
shire, England.  Mr.  Whitefield  took  him  under  his 

selves."  "Have  yon  been  baptized?"  "Yes,  to  l>e  sure."  "How  do  5-00 
know  ?"  "  How  do  I  know  ?  v  hy,  my  parents  have  tnld  me  I  was."  "  Then 
you  do  not  know,  only  by  infcrmutiou."  On  this  Mr.  Rotstbrd  left  him,  but 
"  How  do  yon  know  ?"  haunted  him,  till  he  became  convinced  of  his  duty  ;  he 
was  baptized  by  Mr.  Marshall,  and  lx>gan  to  preach  thn  same  day  he  was  bap- 
tized, and  still  continues  a  useful  minister  amongst  the  Georgia  Baptists.  Bnts- 
ibrd's  "  How  do  you  know  ?"  says  Mr.  Savidge,  first  set  me  to  thinking  about 
baptism. 

In  the  parts  of  Georgia  where  Mr.  Botsford  lalxnired,  the  inhabitants  were 
a  mixed  multitude  of  emigrants  from  many  different  places ;  most  of  them 
were  destitute  of  any  form  of  religion,  and  the  few  who  paid  any  regard  to  it 
were  zealous  churchmen  and  Lutherans,  and  violently  opposed  to  the  Baptists. 
In  the  same  journey  in  -which  he  fell  in  with  Mr.  Savidge,  he  preached  at  the 
court-house  in  Burk  county.  The  assembly  at  first  paid  a  decent  attention  ; 
but,  towards  the  close  of  the  sermon,  one  of  them  bawled  out  with  a  great  oath, 
"  The  rum  is  come."  Out  he  rushed,  others  followed,  the  assembly  was  soon 
left  small,  and  by  the  time  Mr.  Botsford  got  out  to  his  horse,  he  had  the  un- 
happiness  to  find  many  of  his  hearers  intoxicated  and  figUting.  An  old  gentle- 
man came  up  to  him,  tcx.k  his  horse  by  the  bridle,  and  in  his  profane  dialect 
most  highly  extolled  both  him  and  his  discourse,  swore  he  must  drink  with  him, 
and  come  and  preach  in  his  neighbourhood.  It  was  now  no  time  to  reason  or 
reprove ;  and  as  preaching  was  Mr.  Botsfcrd's  business,  he  accepted  the  old 
man's  invitation,  and  made  an  appointment.  His  first  sermon  was  blessed  to 
the  awakening  of  his  wife  ;  one  of  his  sons  also  became  religious,  and  otliers  in 
the  settlement,  to  the  number  of  fifteen,  were  in  a  short  time  hopeiltUy  brought 
to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  and  the  old  man  himself  became  sober  and 
attentive  to  religion,  although  he  never  made  a  publick  profession  of  it. 

Not  long  after,  Mr.  Botsford  preached  at  Stephen's  Creek,  a  little  over  the 
Savannah  river,  in  South-Carolina,  where  he  was  called  upon  to  baptize  Sarah 
decker,  the  wife  of  an  ignorant,  wicked  Dutchman.  The  woman  observ- 
ed, she  did  not  know  that  her  husband  would  consent  to  her  being  baptized. 
Being  informed  he  was  present,  Mr.  Botsford  called  him  up  to  him,  and  ad- 
dressed him  as  follows  :  "  Mr.  Clecker,  I  have  reason  to  hope  that  your  wife  is 
a  believer  in  Christ,  and  she  wishes  to  be  baptized  ;  but  she  is  unwilling  to  go 
forward,  unless  you  give  your  consent.  I  suppose  you  do  not  object,  Sir."  "  No, 
710,  Got  forpit  I  shoult  hinter  mv  vive,  she  was  one  goot  vive."  While  they  were 
preparing  tor  the  water,  the  little  man  fell  into  a  great  rage,  and  cursed  the 

preacher  for  "  a goot  for  netting  son  of  a .  \  aut,  to  ax  me  pevore  all  de 

beble,  if  he  may  tip  my  vive."  But  this  Mr.  Botsford  did  not  hear  of  till  after- 
.vards.  Returning  from  the  water,  he  saw  Mr.  Clecker  leaning  against  a  tree, 
apparently  in  great  trouble.  He  stepped  up  to  him,  and  asked  him  what  was 
»he  matter  ?  "  Vaut  was  de  matter  ?  why,  Sir,  my  vive  is  going  to  hefeu  and 
I  am  going  to  the  tivel.  I  am  a  boor  lost  sinner :  1  cant  be  forgiven :  I  fear  de 
ground  will  open  and  let  me  down  to  de  hell,  for  I  cursed  and  swore  you  vas 

one  goot  for  netting son  of  a -.  Lort  have  mercy  on  me."  This  was  in 

July ;  the  miserable  man  found  no  comfort  till  he  was  brought  into  the  liberty 
*f  the  gospel  j  and  the  September  following,  Mr.  Bctsford  baptized  him. 


The  Mother  cf  Mr.  Polbill'.  183 

patronage,  and  settled  him  in  his  employment  at  the 
Orphan-house,  about  176O,  or  perhaps  earlier.  He  was 
brought  up  a  Presbyterian,  and  continued  in  the  belief 
of  pedobaptisrn  until  1763,  when  he  became  what  he  was 
wont  to  call  a  Bible  Christian,  and  was  baptized  as  before 
related.  He  remained  at  the  Orphan-house  about  four 
years  after  his  baptism,  where  he  lost  his  first  wife,  and 
married  for  his  second  the  widow  of  Nathaniel  and  the 
mother  of  the  present  Thomas  Polhill,  who  possessed  a 
plantation  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Goshen,  about  eigh- 
teen miles  above  Savannah  on  the  Augusta  road,  to 
which  he  removed  in  1767.  As  there  was  no  Baptist 
church  in  that  vicinity,  and  indeed  not  one  at  that  time 
in  Georgia,  he  united  with  the  church  at  Ewhaw,  South- 
Carolina,  about  twenty-five  miles  from  him.  Mr.  Stirk 
began  to  preach  soon  after  he  settled  at  Goshen.  He  set 
up  a  meeting  at  his  own  house,  and  another  at  Tucka- 
seeking,  upwards  of  twenty  miles  still  higher  up  the 
country.  He  also  preached  occasionally  at  the  Ewhaw  j 
and  it  was  on  his  way  to  that  church,  that  he  fell  from 
his  horse  into  the  water,  and  received  an  injury  under 
which  he  languished  for  a  time,  and  of  which  he  died 
in  177O. 

Mr.  Stirk  was  a  good  English  scholar,  and  possessed  a 
small  share  of  classical  learning.  He  was  endowed  with 
good  natural  parts,  and  was  eminent  for  piety  and  zeal. 
Having  a  desire  to  promote  the  interests  of  learning,  he 
became  a  benefactor  to  Rhode-Island  College. 

As  Mr.  Stirk's  second  wife  was  a  woman  honourable 
and  eminent  in  her  day  among  the  few  Baptists  who  were 
then  scattered  in  this  part  of  Georgia,  it  may  be  proper 
to  give  a  short  account  of  her. 

This  lady  is  remarkable  for  having  been  the  wife  of 
two  Baptist  ministers,  and  the  mother  of  a  third.  She 
was  born  in  South-Carolina,  in  1732,  of  pious  and  reputa- 
ble parents,  of  the  Presbyterian  persuasion.  Her  name 
at  first  was  Hannah  Barkersdale.  She  was  four  times 
married.  Her  husbands*  names  were  Miller,  Polhill, 
Stirk,  and  Scott.  The  first  was  a  merchant  of  Charleston, 
with  whom  she  lived  but  about  a  year.  The  second  was 
a  preacher  in  Mr.  Whitefield's  connexion,  a  pious  and 
worthy  man.  He  embarked  for  England  in  1761 .  to  ob- 


184  Nnuington  Church. 

tain  Episcopal  ordination.  But  before  he  left  Charleston 
harbour,  a  violent  whirlwind  divided  the  river  so  that 
the  channel  was  seen,  and  the  ship  and  all  onboard  were 
swallowed  up  by  the  returning  waves.  Mr.  Stirk  has 
been  mentioned.  Her  fourth  and  last  husband  was  Rev. 
Alexander  Scott,  for  many  years  pastor  of  the  church  at 
Black  Swamp,  in  South-Carolina.  With  him  she  lived 
about  seven  years ;  and  then,  after  lingering  some  time, 
died  in  peace,  March  1O,  1780,  in  the  48th  year  of  her 
age.  Mr.  Scott,  about  three  years  ago,  removed  to  the 
Missisippi  country,  where  he  died  shortly  after. 

Rev.  Thomas  Polhill,  the  only  surviving  child  of  this 
venerable  woman,  is  of  opinion  that  she  was  the  first 
person  who  was  baptized  in  Georgia.  While  the  Bap- 
tists were  but  few  in  the  parts  where  she  lived,  her  house 
was  a  home  for  preachers,  and  her  active  benevolence 
was  extended  to  all  around  her. 

Besides  the  persons  already  mentioned,  there  were  bap- 
tized in  these  times  a  Mr.  Cox,  and  a  Mr.  Williams  and 
his  wife,  and  others  whose  names  are  not  known. 

Having  thus  prepared  the  way,  we  shall  next  proceed 
to  relate  the  history  of  some  of  the  churches  in  this  part 
of  Georgia. 

Newington. — This  church  appears  to  have  been  the 
oldest  of  white  people  which  was  formed  in  the  region 
now  under  consideration.  It  took  its  name  from  that 
of  a  plantation  on  which  the  meeting-house  was  erected, 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Goshen,  in  the  county  of  Effing- 
ham,  eighteen  miles  from  Savannah,  and  was  constituted 
in  17(J3.  But  since  that  time  the  seat  of  the  church  has 
been  removed  to  the  adjoining  county  of  Scriven.  This 
church  is  small  now,  and  has  never  been  large,  and  no 
very  remarkable  things  can  be  said  respecting  it.  It  was 
one  of  the  three  churches  which  formed  the  Savannah- 
river  Association. 

For  the  origin  of  this  church,  we  must  go  back  about 
fifty  years  ;  for  it  appears  there  have  been  scattered  Bap- 
tist members  in  this  vicinity  ever  since  the  dispersion  of 
Mr.  Bedgegood's  disciples  from  the  Orphan-house.  The 
first  Baptist  minister  who  preached  here  was  Benjamin 
Stirk.  After  him  were  Mr.  Botsford  and  Mr.  Scott ;  but 
no  special  effects  attended  the  ministry  of  either  of  these 


Savannah  Church.  185 

men.  In  1789,  a  black  man  preached  in  the  neighbour- 
hood in  a  negro  yard  under  some  peach-trees.  Curiosity 
led  some  white  people  to  hear  him,  and  among  the  rest 
was  Major  now  Elder  Thomas  Polhill  and  his  wife.  They 
were  both  convicted  by  the  discourse  of  this  poor  sable 
preacher,  and  in  a  short  time  were  brought  into  the  lib- 
erty of  the  gospel,  and  baptized  by  Mr.  Scott.  From  the 
time  of  his  conversion,  Major  Polhill  became  a  patron  of 
the  Baptist  cause,  and  a  promoter  of  meetings  in  his 
neighbourhood.  He  invited  Baptist  ministers  to  preach 
in  his  house  :  God  blessed  their  labours ;  and  in  1793,  a 
sufficient  number  had  been  baptized  to  form  a  church, 
which,  as  soon  as  it  was  organized,  chose  Mr.  John  Gold- 
wire  for  their  pastor,  who  had  been  ordained  t\vo  years 
before.  Mr.  Goldwire  still  continues  the  pastor  of  the 
church,  although  very  aged  and  infirm.  Mr.  Poihill  also 
became  a  preacher  of  the  gospel,  and  is  now  an  assistant 
to  the  aged  and  venerable  Gnld\\5re. 

Savannah. — This  city  contains  three  Baptist  churches, 
one  of  white  people,  and  two  of  Africans.  The  history  of 
the  African  churches  will  be  related  in  the  account  which, 
we  propose  to  give  of  that  people.  The  church  of  white 
people  was  founded  by  its  late  pastor,  Dr.  Holcombe, 
now  of  Philadelphia.  It  was  constituted  in  J  8OO,  but 
was  begun  six  years  before  that  time,  in  the  following 
manner.  In  1794,  Messrs.  Jonathan  Clark,  George 
Morse,  Thomas  Polhill  of  Newington,  and  David  Adams, 
one  of  the  deacons  of  the  church  in  Charleston,  propo- 
sed the  erection  of  a  house  of  worship  for  the  Baptists 
in  this  city.  But  as  the  Baptist  members  were  few  in 
number,  and  these  generally  poor,  there  appeared  but  lit- 
tle prospect  of  success.  About  this  time,  Mr.  Rees  from 
Wales,  the  same  man  who  led  out  the  company  of  Welsh 
people  to  the  mountains  in  Pennsylvania,  visited  Savan- 
nah, and  with  much  zeal  and  address  encouraged  the 
design  of  building  the  house,  which  had  been  proposed. 
A  plan  for  it  was  drawn  up  by  Dr.  Furman  of  Charleston  ; 
aid  was  solicited  by  the  above-named  gentlemen  and  oth- 
ers ;  and  so  great  was  their  success,  that  in  17^5,  a  house 
fifty  feet  by  sixty  was  erected.  It  was  at  first  merely  inclo- 
sed. The  next  year  it  was  rented  to  the  Presbyterians, 
who  had  lately  lost  their  house  by  fire.  They  occupied 

VOL.  2.  24- 


186  Dr.  Holcombe  removes  to  Philadelphia. 

it  three  years.  Such  was  the  posture  of  the  affairs  of  the 
Baptists  in  Savannah,  in  179b>,  when  Mr.  Holcombe, 
who  was  the  pastor  of  the  church  at  E  \vhaw,  but  lived  at 
Beaufort,  by  the  invitation  of  the  pew-holders  in  their 
meeting-house,  came  to  reside  in  the  city.  So  much  suc- 
cess attended  his  ministry,  that  in  1 8OO  it  was  judged 
proper  to  organize  a  church  in  the  place.  The  constitu- 
ent members  were  Henry  Hoicombe  and  wife,  George 
Morse  and  wife,  Elias  Roberts  and  wife,  Rachel  Hamilton, 
Esther  M'Kenzier,  Elizabeth  Story,  Martha  Stephens, 
Eunice  Hogg,  and  Mary  Jones,  widow  of  the  late  Lieu- 
tenant-Governor  of  the  State.  Not  long  after  the  church 
was  formed,  Mr.  Holcombe  was  invented  with  the  pas- 
toral care  of  it,  and  continued  in  that  office  about  eleven 
years.  Under  him,  the  church  was  built  up  to  a  flour- 
ishing and  respectable  body,  the  meeting-house  was  well 
finished,  and  to  it  were  added  a  bell,  clock,  baptistery, 
and  other  appendages  of  ornament  and  convenience. 
But  Dr.  Holcombe  having  resided  a  long  time  in  a  de- 
bilitating climate,  found  it  necessary  to  retire  to  a  more 
ealthy  situation.  He  accordingly  announced  to  the 
church  his  intention  of  removing,  and  wished  them  to 
look  out  for  a  successor.  He  retired  to  Mount  Enon, 
about  fifteen  miles  from  Augusta,  where  he  intended  to 
spend  the  remainder  of  his  days  in  retirement,  and  in 
preaching  as  he  was  able  to  the  neighbouring  churches. 
But  by  the  affectionate  importunity  of  the  first  church 
in  Philadelphia,  he  consented  to  leave  this  retreat,  and 
become  its  pastor. 

The  Savannah  church,  after  remaining  destitute  of  a 
pastor  about  a  year,  obtained  William  B.  Johnson,  who  is 
now  agreeably  settled  among  them.  Mr.  Johnson  had 
been  a  few  years  pastor  of  the  church  in  Columbia, 
South-Carolina.  He  was  bred  to  the  law,  but  was  con- 
strained to  leave  that  profession,  and  engage  in  the  less 
lucrative  one  of  preaching  the  gospel. 

Simbury.  -At  this  place,  which  is  some  distance 
below  Savannah,  there  is  a  very  respectable  church  un- 
der the  care  of  Mr.  Charles  O.  Scriven,  a  graduate  of 
Rhode-Island  College  ;  but  I  have  not  obtained  any  par- 
ticulars respecting  its  origin. 


Sav&nnah-rivfr  Association.  187 

Of  the  remaining  churches  in  this  part  of  the  State,  I 
have  not  procured  sufficient  materials  to  form  any  in- 
teresting narratives ;  I  shall,  therefore,  pass  on  to  other 
matters. 


SAVANNAH-RIVER.    ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  body  was  organized  in  Savannah  in  1802.  It 
was  composed  at  first  of  only  three  churches,  which 
were  the  two  in  Savannah  and  the  one  at  Newington.  But 
not  long  after,  a  number  of  churches  belonging  to  the 
Charleston  Association  were  dismissed  from  that  body, 
and  united  with  this.  The  new  churches,  which  have 
been  raised  up  in  this  part  of  Georgia  and  the  neighbour, 
ing  parts  of  South-Carolina,  have  become  members  of 
this  Association.  It  has  progressed  with  harmony  and 
prosperity,  and  has  increased  to  almost  thirty  churches., 
and  upwards  of  five  thousand  members, 

The  GENERAL  COMMITTEE  of  the  GEORGIA  BAPTISTS. 

This  Committee  was  formed  in  1803.  Its  plan  and 
operations  are  much  like  the  General  Committees  in  the 
other  southern  States.  It  was  intended  to  be  composed 
of  representatives  from  all  the  Associations  in  the  State, 
But  this  representation  was  never  full,  which  is  not  to  be 
much  wondered  at.  In  the  first  place,  many  are  prejudic- 
ed against  the  establishment.  "And  again,  but  few  minis- 
ters can  find  time,  after  attending  their  respective  Associa- 
tions, to  travel  from  one  end  to  the  other  of  their  wide 
State  to  attend  a  Committee,  which  has  never  had  and 
cannot  consistently  find  much  business  to  do. 

An  account  of  the  Mount  Enon  Academy  will  be  given 
in  the  history  of  Literary  Institutions. 

From  the  preceding  sketches  it  appears,  that  great  suc- 
cess has  attended  the  exertions  of  the  Baptists  in  Georgia. 
And  no  embarrassments,  worth  mentioning,  have  been 
thrown  in  their  way  by  the  civil  power.  The  Church  of 
England  was  the  established  religion  of  Georgia  before 
the  war.  But  dissenters  of  every  denomination  have, 
from  first  to  last,  enjoyed  as  much  liberty  as  they  could 
desire.  I  do  not  find  that  any  Baptist  was  ever  molested 


Baptists  and  Methodists  numerous  in  Georgia. 

in  a  legal  way  for  preaching  the  gospel,  excepting  Dan- 
iel Marshall,  and  he  was  soon  discharged,  as  is  related  in 
his  biography.  The  Episcopal  church  does  not  appear  to 
have  flourished  much  in  Georgia  at  any  time,  and  it  is 
now  very  small.  And  indeed  there  are  but  a  few  con- 
gregations of  any  denominations  in  the  State,  besides 
the  Baptists  and  Methodists :  both  of  these  are  very  nu- 
merous ;  and  we  are  sorry  to  say,  that  instead  of  striv- 
ing to  walk  together  as  far  as  they  are  agreed,  many  of 
them  on  both  sides  spend  too  much  time  in  disputing 
about  Calvin  and  Wesley,  perseverance  and  falling  from 
grace. 

The  great  increase  of  the  Baptists  in  Georgia  has 
been  occasioned  partly  by  the  emigration  of  Baptist  pro- 
fessors from  other  parts  ;  but  mostly  by  the  great  and 
precious  revivals  of  religion,  which  have  at  different  times 
been  experienced  in  almost  every  part  of  the  State. 

In  the  year  1793,  Mr.  Abraham  Marshall  wrote  as  fol- 
lows to  Dr.  Rippon  of  London.  "  In  1 787  there  was  a 
glorious  revival :  thousands  attended  on  the  word.  The 
Baptists  have  great  influence,  and  are  the  most  nume- 
rous of  any  denomination  in  this  State.  We  are  in- 
creased (that  is,  the  Georgia  Association)  to  upwards  of 
three  thousand  three  hundred,  in  about  twenty  years 
past." 

Some  account  of  the  share  which  Georgia  had  in  the 
great  revival  in  l<soo  and  onward,  has  already  been 
given.  Many  thousands,  during  the  progress  of  this  re- 
vival,  were  added  to  the  Baptist  churches.  Mr.  Jesse 
Mercer,  of  the  Georgia  Association,  in  the  course  of  two 
years  baptized  about  three  hundred  persons.  In  1809, 
another  revival  began  in  the  upper  part  of  the  State,  in 
the  bounds  of  the  Georgia  and  Sarepta  Associations, 
and  many  hundreds  were  hopefully  born  into  the  king- 
dom of  God,  and  united  with  the  churches  of  his  saints. 

In  1812,  there  was  a  very  extensive  revival  in  many 
different  parts  of  the  State.  By  the  four  Associations  of 
Oakmulgee,  Sarepta,  Georgia,  and  Savannah,  it  appears 
that  three  thousand  and  eight  hundred  were  added  to 
them  ail,  in  the  course  of  the  year.  To  the  Savannah 
were  added  about  fifteen  hundred,  and  to  the  Sarepta 
»ver  twelve  hundred  and  fifty. 


First  Coloured  Baptist  Church  in  Savannah.        1 89 
CHAP.    XIII. 

An  Account  of  four  Baptist  Churches  of  Africans  in  Geor- 
gia, and  of  two  in  the  West-Indies  ;  together  with  some 
general  Observations  respecting  the  Circumstances  of  the 
African  Slaves  in  the  Southern  and  Western  States. 

A  MYSTERIOUS  Providence  has  permitted  a  large  por- 
tion of  the  sable  sons  of  Africa  to  be  transported  from 
their  native  country  to  this  western  world,  and  here  to  be 
reduced  to  a  state  of  absolute  and  perpetual  slavery  ;  but 
He  who  can  bring  good  out  of  evil,  has  overruled  this 
calamity  for  their  spiritual  advantage  ;  and  thousands  of 
these  poor,  enslaved,  and  benighted  people,  we  have  very 
satisfactory  reason  to  believe,  have  found  gospel  liberty 
in  the  midst  of  their  temporal  bondage,  and  are  prepar- 
ing to  reign  forever  in  the  kingdom  of  God. 

There  are  multitudes  of  African  communicants,  in  all 
the  Baptist  churches  in  the  southern  and  western  States  ; 
and  in  Georgia  there  are  four  churches,  wholly  composed 
of  them.  Some  brief  sketches  of  their  history  will  now 
be  given. 

First  Coloured  Baptist  Church  in  Savannah. 

The  origin  of  this  church,  according  to  Rippon's  Reg- 
ister and  Holcombe's  Repository,  was  in  the  following 
manner.  About  the  beginning  of  the  American  war, 
George  Leile,  sometimes  called  George  Sharp,  but  more 
commonly  known  among  his  brethren  and  friends  by  the 
name  of  brother  George,  began  to  preach  at  Brampton 
and  Yamacraw,  near  the  city  of  Savannah.  He  had  been 
converted  about  two  years  before  the  war  by  the  preach- 
ing of  a  Baptist  minister  in  Burke  county,  whose  name 
was  Matthew  Moore  ;  by  this  minister  he  was  baptized, 
and  by  the  church,  of  which  he  was  pastor,  he  was  appro- 
bated to  preach.  His  labours  were  attended  with  a  bless- 
ing among  the  people  of  his  own  colour  on  different 
plantations,  and  many  of  them  were  brought,  by  his 
means,  to  a  saving  acquaintance  with  the  gospel.  When 
country  was  evacuated  by  the  British,  George,  with 


1 9O         Andrew  Bryan  and  others  inhumanly  -whipped. 

many  others,  removed  from  Georgia  to  Kingston,  in  the 
island  of  Jamaica.  Here  his  labours  were  attended  with 
great  success,  and  by  him  a  large  church  was  soon  raised 
up  ;  in  giving  the  history  of  which,  we  shall  relate  more 
at  large  the  character  and  labours  of  this  worthy  man. 
Previous  to  George's  departure  for  Jamaica,  he  came 
up  to  the  city  of  Savannah  from  Tylee-river,  where  de- 
parting vessels  frequently  lay  ready  for  sea,  and  baptized 
Andrew  Bryan  and  Hannah  his  xvife,  and  two  other 
black  women,  whose  names  were  Kate  and  Hagar.  These 
were  the  last  labours  of  George  Leile  in  this  quarter. 
About  nine  months  after  his  departure,  Andrew  began 
to  exhort  his  black  brethren  and  friends,  and  a  few  whites 
who  assembled  to  hear  him.  Edward  Davis,  Esq.  per- 
mitted him  and  his  hearers  to  erect  a  rough  wooden 
building  on  his  land  at  Yamacraw,  in  the  suburbs  of 
Savannah.  Of  this  building  they  were,  in  a  short  time, 
very  artfully  dispossessed.  It  appears  that  these  poor, 
defenceless  slaves  met  with  much  opposition  from  the 
rude  and  merciless  white  people,  who,  under  various 
pretences,  interrupted  their  worship,  and  otherwise 
treated  them  in  a  barbarous  manner.  Andrew  Bryan, 
and  his  brother  Samson,  who  was  converted  about  a 
year  after  him,  were  twice  imprisoned,  and  they,  with 
about  fifty  others,  without  much  ceremony  were  severe- 
ly whipped.  Andrew  was  inhumanly  cut,  and  bled  abun- 
dantly ;  but  while  under  their  lashes,  he  held  up  his 
hands  and  told  his  persecutors,  that  he  rejoiced  not  only 
to  be  whipped,  but  would  freely  suffer  death  for  the  cause  of 
Jesus  Christ.  The  Chief  Justice,  Henry  Osbourne,  James 
Habersham,  and  David  Montague,  l.squires,  were  their 
examinants,  who  released  them.  Jonathan  Bryan,  Esq. 
the  kind  master  of  Andrew  and  Samson,  interceded 
for  his  own  servants  and  the  rest  of  the  sufferers,  and 
was  much  grieved  at  their  punishment.  The  design 
of  these  unrighteous  proceedings  agaii>t  these  poor  inno- 
cent people,  was  to  stop  their  religious  meetings.  Their 
enemies  pretended,  that  under  a  pretence  of  religion, 
they  were  plotting  mischief  and  insurrections.  But  by 
•well  doing  they  at  length  silenced  and  shamed  their  per- 
secutors,  and  acquired  a  number  of  very  respectable  and 
influential  advocates  and  patrons,  who  not  only  rescued 


Place  of  Worship  erected.  191 

them  from  the  power  of  their  enemies,  but  declared  that 
such  treatment  as  they  hud  received  would  be  condemned 
even  among  barbarians.  The  Chief  Justice  Osbourne 
then  gave  them  liberty  to  continue  their  worship  any 
time  between  sun-rising  and  sun-set ;  and  the  benevolent 
Jonathan  Bryan  told  the  magistrates  that  he  would  give 
them  the  liberty  of  his  own  house  or  barn,  at  a  place  called 
Brampton,  about  three  miles  from  Savannah,  and  that 
they  ;<hould  not  be  interrupted  in  their  worship.  From 
this  period,  Andrew  and  Samson  set  up  meetings  at 
their  master's  barn,  where  they  had  little  or  no  interrup- 
tion for  about  two  years.  Such  was  the  beginning  of 
the  first  African  church  in  Savannah,  which,  after  having 
been  the  mother  of  two  others,  now  contains  about  fif- 
teen hundred  members. 

Not  long  after  Andrew  began  his  ministry,  and  his  con- 
verts  began  to  increase,  they  were  visited  by  an  aged 
Baptist  minister,  whose  name  was  Thomas  Burton,  since 
deceased,  who,  on  a  credible  profession  of  their  fait]], 
baptized  eighteen  of  Andrew's  black  hearers.  In  1788, 
they  were  visited  by  Rev.  Abraham  Marshall,  of  Kioka, 
who  was  accompanied  by  a  young  preacher  of  colour,  by 
by  the  name  of  Jesse  Peter.  Mr.  Marshall  baptized  forty- 
five  more  of  the  congregation  in  one  day,  and  formed 
them  into  a  church,  and  ordained  Andrew  as  their  ad- 
ministrator and. pastor.  This  church,  at  first,  consisted 
of  upwards  of  eighty  members,  and  from  the  time  of 
its  organization,  under  the  successful  ministry  of  its  wor- 
thy pastor,  it  began  to  increase  very  fast ;  so  that  in  the 
year  1792,  their  number  amounted  to  two  hundred  and 
thirty-five  ;  and  besides  these,  there  were  three  hundred 
and  fifty,  who  had  been  received  as  converted  followers, 
many  of  whom  had  not  obtained  permission  of  their 
owners  to  be  baptized. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  year  1 792,  they  began  to 
build  a  place  of  worship  in  the  suburbs  of  the  city  of 
Savannah,  which,  by  the  assistance  of  a  number  of  benev- 
olent gentlemen  of  different  denominations,  was  finished 
in  due  time,  and  is  42  feet  by  49.  The  plan  of  building 
this  house,  it  seems,  was  projected  by  Messrs.  Jonathan 
Clark,  Ebenezer  Hills,  and  others.  The  corporation  of 
the  city  of  Savannah  gave  them  a  lot  for  the  purpose. 


192  Character  and  Death  of  Andrew  Bryan. 

This  coloured  church,  as  it  is  generally  called,  (for  no 
white  person  belongs  to  it)  is  now  a  large  and  respectable 
establishment.  Many  of  its  members  are  free,  and  are  pos- 
sessed of  some  estate.  It  was  one  of  the  three  churches 
which  formed  the  Savannah-river  Association  ;  and  by 
its  returns  to  that  body  in  1812,  it  contained  about  fif- 
teen hundred  members,  many  of  whom  belong  to  the 
plantations  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Savannah,  and  some 
are  a  number  of  miles  out  in  the  country.  But  their 
masters  give  them  liberty  every  Sabbath  to  meet  with 
their  brethren,  and  the  poor  creatures,  with  peculiar  de- 
light, go  up  to  their  Jerusalem  to  worship. 

Andrew  Bryan,  the  pastor  of  this  church,  is  now  an 
old  man,  and  is  spoken  of  by  all  who  know  him  in  terms 
of  peculiar  respect,  He  was  born  at  a  place  called  Goose- 
Creek,  about  16  miles  from  Charleston,  (S.  C.)  in  what 
year  is  not  known.  He  was  a  slave  when  he  began  to 
preach  ;  but  his  kind  master  indulged  him  with  uncom- 
mon liberties.  After  his  death,  he  purchased  his  free- 
dom of  one  of  his  heirs. 

His  character  was  thus  given  by  the  judicious  Joseph 
Cook  of  Ewhaw,  in  17^2  :  "  His  gifts  are  small ;  but  he 
is  clear  in  the  grand  doctrines  of  the  gospel.  I  believe 
him  to  be  truly  pious  ;  and  he  has  been  the  instrument  of 
doing  more  good  among  the  poor  slaves,  than  all  the 
learned  doctors  in  America." 

Since  writing  the  above,  I  have  been  informed  by  Mr. 
Johnson  of  Savannah,  that  this  venerable  man  finished 
his  course  in  October,  1812.  He  was  supposed  to  have 
been  about  DO  years  of  age.  His  remains  were  interred 
with  peculiar  marks  of  respect.  Addresses  were  deliv- 
ered at  the  meeting-house  by  Rev.  Mr.  Johnson  of  the 
Baptist,  and  Dr.  Kollock  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 
About  five  thousand  attended  him  to  the  grave,  where 
another  address  was  delivered  by  Mr.  Thomas  F. 
Williams. 

Although  he  was  a  slave  when  he  began  to  preach, 
yet  he  left  an  estate  worth  about  three  thousand  dollars. 
He  is  succeeded  in  the  pastoral  office  by  his  nephew  An- 
drew Marshall,  who  is  now  working  his  time  out,  (as 
they  call  it)  and  is  said  to  be  a  man  of  promising  part?. 


Churches  of  Africans.  193 

Second  African  Baptist  Church  in  Savannah. 

This  church  was  formed  in  1802,  and  now  consists  of 
upwards  of  three  hundred  members.  This  church  has 
also  a  comfortable  meeting-house  in  Savannah,  67  feet 
by  3().  It  is  under  the  pastoral  care  of  a  very  respecta- 
ble black  preacher,  whose  name  is  Henry  Cunningham. 
He,  like  Andrew  Bryan,  was  originally  a  slave,  but  rs 
now  free,  having  worked  his  time  out. 

The  African  Church  on  the  Great  Ogechee  River ',   commonly 
called  the  Great  Ogechce  Coloured  Church. 

This  body,  like  the  last  mentioned,  originated  from 
the  African  church  in  Savannah,  under  the  care  of 
Andrew  Bryan  ;  and  was  constituted  in  18O3.  But  it 
has  not  been  so  prosperous  as  the  two  others,  and  has 
diminished  rather  than  increased, 

African  Church  in  Augusta. 

This  church  appears  to  have  been  raised  up  by  the 
labours  of  Jesse  Peter,  a  black  preacher  of  very  respect- 
able talents,  and  an  amiable  character.  It  was  constitu- 
ted in  17^3,  by  elders  Abraham  Marshall  and  David 
Tinsley. 

Jesse  Peter,  sometimes  called  Jesse  Golfin,  on  account 
of  his  master's  name,  continued  the  pastor  of  this  church 
a  number  of  years,  and  was  very  successful  in  his  min- 
istry. I  find  his  character  thus  given  by  Mr.  Abraham 
Marshall,  in  1793,  in  Rippon's  Register,  Vol.  I.  p.  545  : 
"  He  is  a  servant  of  Mr.  Goliin,  who  lives  twelve  miles 
below  Augusta,  and  who,  to  his  praise  be  it  spoken, 
treats  him  with  respect.  His  countenance  is  grave,  his 
voice  charming,  his  delivery  good  ;  nor  is  he  a  novice 
in  the  mysteries  of  the  kingdom." 

Mr.  Peter  died  about  18O6.  Their  present  pastor  is 
Caesar  M'Cridy,  under  whose  ministry  the  church  ap- 
pears to  flourish  and  prosper.  They  have  a  meeting- 
house at  Springfield,  in  the  upper  end  of  the  city  of 
Augusta. 

VOL.  2.  25 


194  African  Baptists  in  the  Islands  of 

This  church  was  once  upwards  of  five  hundred  in 
number ;  but  it  is  now  reduced,  by  various  means,  to  a 
little  less  than  four  hundred,  who  walk  together  in  har- 
mony and  love. 

This  church  has  belonged  to  the  Georgia  Association 
from  its  beginning.  Abraham  Marshall,  the  friend  of 
black  people,  lives  but  a  short  distance  from  it  ;  and  to- 
his  fatherly  care  they  are  much  indebted  for  many  of 
their  comforts. 

There  are  multitudes  of  black  people  in  all  the 
churches  in  the  southern  States  ;  but  1  know  of  no 
church  of  the  Baptist  denomination  which  is  wholly 
composed  of  them,  except  those  whose  history  has  been 
related. 

Their  white  brethren  generally  do  not  encourage 
them  to  form  churches  by  themselves.  Such  are  their 
circumstances,  their  mode  of  life,  and  their  want  of 
knowledge  to  regulate  church  affairs,  that  it  is  altogeth- 
er best,  in  the  present  state  of  things,  that  they  should 
be  connected  with  their  white  brethren,  who  are  capa- 
ble of  guiding  and  instructing  them. 

Some  Account  of  the  African  Baptists  in  the  Islands  of  Jamaica 
and  New-Providence. 

Jamaica. -In  this  island  there  are  now  two  Baptist 

churches.  The  first  was  planted  by  a  black  man,  by 
the  name  of  George  Leile.  This  very  respectable  and 
successful  servant  of  the  Lord,  went  from  Savannah  to 
Jamaica,  about  the  close  of  the  American  war.  He  was 
born  in  Virginia  about  175O;  his  father's  name  was 
Leile,  and  his  mother's  name  was  Nancy.  His  master's 
name  was  Henry  Sharp,  who,  some  time  before  the  war, 
removed  and  settled  in  Georgia.  He  was  a  Baptist, 
and  a  deacon  of  a  Baptist  church  of  which  Elder  Matthew 
Moore  was  pastor  at  the  time  of  George's  conversion. 
By  Mr.  Moore's  preaching,  this  poor  slave  was  awakened 
to  a  sense  of  his  lost  condition,  about  two  years  before 
the  war.  After  labouring  under  great  distress  of  mind, 
about  six  months,  he  was  brought  to  rejoice  in  the 
truth,  and  was,  not  long  after,  baptized  by  Mr.  Moore, 


Jamaica  and  New-Providence.  1 9.5 

and  received  into  his  church.  He  was  soon  discovered 
to  have  ministerial  gifts,  and  accordingly  the  church 
gave  him  approbation  to  preach.  He  soon  began  to  la- 
bour with  good  success  at  different  plantations.  Some- 
times he  preached  on  the  evenings  of  Lord's  days  to  the 
church  to  which  he  belonged,  and  for  about  three  years 
he  preached  at  Brampton  and  Yamacraw,  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Savannah.  Mr.  Sharp,  his  master,  was  kind 
to  his  servant  and  brother,  and  gave  him  his  freedom 
not  long  after  he  began  to  preach  ;  but  he  continued  in 
the  family  until  his  master's  death,  who  was  killed  in 
the  war.  George  then  went  free  ;  but  some  interested 
heirs,  being  dissatisfied  with  his  liberation,  threw  him 
into  prison  ;  but  by  producing  the  proper  papers,  he 
was  released  ;  his  particular  friend  in  this  business,  was 
a  Col.  Kirkland.  At  the  evacuation  of  the  country  by 
the  British,  he  went  to  Jamaica  with  Col.  Kirkland,  to 
whom  he  was  then  an  indented  servant,  for  money  which 
he  owed  him.  The  company  landed  at  Kingston,  and 
Col.  Kirkland  recommended  George  to  General  Camp- 
bell, the  Governour  of  the  island,  who  employed  him  two 
years,  and  when  he  left  Jamaica  for  England,  he  gave 
him  a  certificate  for  his  good  behaviour.  About  this 
time  he  had  procured  money  enough  to  settle  Col.  Kirk- 
land's  demand  on  him,  and  then  he  received  from  the 
vestry  and  Governor,  a  certificate  of  the  freedom  of  him- 
self and  family  ;  for  he  had  now  a  wife  and  a  number  of 
children.  As  soon  as  he  had  thus  established  himself  in 
the  country,  he  set  up  a  meeting  in  a  small  private  house 
in  Kingston,  in  September,  1784- ;  he  immediately  had  a 
smart  congregation,  and  his  preaching  was  attended 
with  very  good  effect  among  the  poorer  sort,  especially 
the  slaves.  In  a  short  time  he  formed  a  church  of  only 
five  persons,  including  himself.  The  people  at  first  per- 
secuted them,  both  at  their  meetings  and  baptisms.  It 
must  have  been  rude  fellows  of  the  baser  sort  indeed, 
whatever  were  their  pretensions,  who  would  thus  dis- 
turb these  poor  defenceless  people.  But  they  found 
friends  in  the  magistrates,  who  appear,  by  a  number  of 
accounts,  to  have  treated  George  and  his  religious  asso- 
ciates with  much  humanity  and  kindness.  They,  in  the 
early  stage  of  their  proceedings,  presented  a  petition  to 


196  George  Leile' s  Account  of  himself  , 

the  Honourable  House  of  Assembly^  in  which  they  "  set 
forth  their  distresses,  and  desired  liberty  to  worship  Al- 
mighty God,  according  to  the  tenets  of  the  Bible."  The 
Assembly  sanctioned  their  proceedings,  by  granting  them 
the  liberty  they  desired  ;  upon  which,  opposition  ceased. 

From  this  small  beginning,  the  Baptist  cause  prevailed 
very  rapidly  among  the  poor  Jamaica  negroes,  so  that  in 
seven  years  from  the  formation  of  the  church,  viz.  in 
1791,  there  were,  according  to  Mr.  Leile's  statement, 
about  four  hundred  and  fifty,  who  had,  in  a  judgment 
of  charity,  been  converted  to  Christ  ;  four  hundred  of 
whom  had  been  baptized.  And  together  with  well-wish- 
ers and  followers  in  different  parts  of  the  country,  he  reck- 
oned about  fifteen  hundred  people. 

About  six  years  after  this  church  was  planted,  Dr. 
Rippon  of  London  was  informed  of  the  pleasing  event, 
by  Mr.  Joseph  Cook,  of  Kwhaw,  (S.  C.);  and  for  the  pur- 
pofe  of  learning  more  of  George  Leile  and  his  nume- 
rous converts,  he  immediately  wrote  letters  to  Mr.  Cook, 
to  Mr.  Jonathan  Clark,  of  Savannah,  and  to  Mr.  Wes- 
ley's people  at  Kingston  ;  a  number  of  communications 
were  forwarded  by  different  persons,  the  substance  of 
which  he  inserted  in  his  Annual  Register,  which  he  was 
publishing  at  that  time,  from  which  the  preceding 
sketches  have  been  selected  ;  and  from  the  same  work 
I  shall  now  transcribe  the  following  letters  ;  as  they  will 
furnish  the  reader  with  a  better  view  of  the  character  of 
Mr.  Leile  and  his  followers,  than  can  otherwise  be  given. 
Previous,  however,  to  introducing  the  testimony  of  oth- 
ers, it  may  be  proper  to  insert  the  account  which  Mr. 
Leile  has  given  of  himself  and  people,  which  he  commu- 
nicated to  Dr.  Rippon,  in  answer  to  more  than  fifty 
questions  which  the  Doctor  had  proposed  to  him  : 

"  I  cannot  justly  tell  what  is  my  age,  as  1  have  no  ac- 
count of  the  time  of  my  birth  ;  but  1  suppose  I  am  about 
40years  old  (in  17'U.)  I  have  a  wife  and  four  children. 
My  wife  was  baptized  by  n,e  in  Savannah,  and  I  have 
every  satisfaction  in  life  from  her.  She  is  much  the 
same  age  as  myself.  My  eldest  son  is  nineteen  years, 
my  next  son  seventeen,  the  third  fourteen,  and  the  last 
child  a  girl  of  eleven  years  ;  they  are  all  members  of  the 
church.  My  occupation  is  a  farmer,  but  as  the  seasons, 


and  of  bis  Church.  197 

in  this  part  of  the  country,  are  uncertain,  I  also  keep  a 
team  of  horses  and  waggors,  for  the  carrying  goods 
from  one  place  to  another,  which  I  attend  to  myself 
with  the  assistance  of  my  sons  ;  and  by  this  way  of  life 
have  gained  the  good  will  of  the  publick,  who  recom- 
mend me  to  business,  and  to  some  very  principal  work 
for  Government.  I  have  a  few  books,  some  good  old 
authors  and  sermons,  and  one  large  Bible  that  was  given 
me  by  a  gentleman.  A  good  many  of  our  members  can 
read,  and  are  all  desirous  to  learn  ;  they  will  be  very 
thankful  for  a  few  books  to  read  on  Sundays  and  other 
days. 

"  I  agree  to  election,  redemption,  the  fall  of  Adam, 
regeneration,  and  perseverance,  knowing  the  promise  is 
to  all  who  endure,  in  grace,  faith,  and  good  works,  to 
the  end,  shall  be  saved. 

"  There  is  no  Baptist  church  in  this  country  but  ours. 
We  have  purchased  a  piece  of  land  at  the  east  end  of 
Kingston,  containing  three  acres,  for  the  sum  of  £  155,* 
currency,  and  on  it  have  begun  a  meeting-house,  57  feet 
in  length  by  tf7  in  breadth.  We  have  raised  the  brick 
wall  eight  feet  high  from  the  foundation,  and  intend 
to  have  a  gallery.  Several  gentlemen,  members  of  the 
House  of  Assembly,  and  other  gentlemen,  have  subscri- 
bed towards  the  building,  about  £  40.  The  chief  part 
of  our  congregation  are  slaves,  and  their  owners  allow 
them,  in  common,  but  three  or  four  bits  per  weekf  for 
allowance  to  feed  themselves  ;  and  out  of  so  small  a 
sum  we  cannot  expect  any  thing  that  can  be  of  service 
from  them  ;  if  we  did,  it  would  soon  bring  a  scandal 
upon  religion  ;  and  the  free  people  in  our  society  are 
but  poor,  but  they  are  all  willing,  both  free  and  slaves, 
to  do  what  they  can.  As  for  my  part,  I  am  too  much 
entangled  with  the  affairs  of  the  world  to  go  on,  as  I 
would,  with  my  design,  in  supporting  the  cause  ;  this 
has,  I  acknowledge,  been  a  great  hindrance  to  the  gos- 
pel in  one  way  ;  but  as  I  have  endeavoured  to  set  a  good 
example  of  industry  before  the  inhabitants  of  the  land, 
it  has  given  general  satisfaction  another  way.  And,  Rev. 

*  /"140  currency  is  ^100  sterling. 
|  A  bit  is  about  five  pence  half-penny  sterling. 


IDS  Mr.  Cookis  Letter 

Sir,  we  think  the  Lord  has  put  it  in  the  power  o/  the 
Baptist  societies  in  England  to  help  and  as>isc  us  in  com- 
pleting this  building,  which  we  look  upon  will  be  the 
greatest  undertaking  ever  was  in  this  country  for  the 
bringing  of  souls  from  darkness  into  the  light  of  the 
gospel.  And  as  the  Lord  has  put  in  your  heart  to  in- 
quire after  us,  we  place  all  our  confidence  in  you,  to 
make  our  circumstance*  known  to  the  several  Baptist 
churches  in  England  ;  and  we  look  upon  you  as  our 
father,  friend,  and  brother. 

"  Within  the  brick  wall  we  have  a  shelter,  in  which 
we  worship,  until  our  building  can  be  accomplished. 

"  Your  lerter  was  read  to  the  church  two  or  three 
times,  and  did  create  a  great  deal  of  love  and  warmness 
throughout  the  whole  congregation,  who  shouted  for 
joy  and  comfort,  to  think  that  the  Lord  had  been  so 
gracious  as  to  satisfy  us  in  this  country  with  the  very 
same  religion  with  our  beloved  brethren  in  the  old  coun- 
try, according  to  the  Scriptures  ;  and  that  such  a  wor- 
thy  of  London,  should  write,  in  so  loving  a  man- 
ner, to  such  poor  worms  as  we  are.  And  I  beg  leave 
to  say,  that  the  whole  congregation  sar-g  out  that  they 
would,  through  the  assistance  of  God,  remember  you 
in  their  prayers.  They  all  together  give  their  Christian 
love  to  you,  and  all  the  worthy  professors  of  Jesus 
Christ  in  your  church  at  London  ;  and  beg  the  prayers 
of  your  congregation,  and  the  prayers  of  the  churches 
in  general,  wherever  it  pleases  you  to  make  known  our 
circumstances.  I  remain,  with  the  utmost  love,  Rev. 
Sir,  your  unworthy  fellow- labourer,  servant,  and  brother 
in  Christ,  GEORGE  LE1LE. 

"  P.  S.  We  have  chosen  twelves  trustees,  all  of 
whom  are  members  of  our  church,  whose  names  are 
specified  in  the  title  ;  the  title  proved  and  recorded  in 
the  Secretary's  office  of  this  island." 

The  following  letter,  directed  to  Dr.  Rippon,  was 
dated  Kingston,  Jamaica,  Nov.  26,  171)1. 
.  "  Reverend  S/'r, 

"  The  perusal  of  your  letter  of  the  15th  July  last  gave 
me  much  pkasure,  to  find  that  you  had  interested  your- 
self to  serve  the  glorious  cause  Mr.  Leile  is  engaged  in. 


to  Dr.  Rippon.  199 

He  has  been  for  a  considerable  time  past,  very  zealous 
in   the*  ministry  ;    but  his  congregation   being   chiefly 
slaves,  they  had  it  not.  in  their  power  to  support  him  j 
therefore,  he  has  been  obliged  to  do  it  from  his  own  in- 
dustry ;    this  has  taken  a  considerable  part  of  his  time, 
and  much  of  his  attention  from  his  labours  in  the  minis- 
try :  however,  I  am  led  to  believe  that  it  has  been  of  es- 
sential service  to  the  cause  of  God,  for  his  industry  has 
set  a  good  example  to  his  flock,  and  has  put  it  out  of  the 
power  of  enemies  to   religion  to  say,  that  he  has  been 
eating  the  bread  of  idleness,  or  lived  upon  the  poor 
slaves.     The  idea  that  too  much  prevails  here  amongst 
the  masters  of  slaves  is,  that  if  their  minds  are  consider- 
ably enlightened  by  religion  or  otherwise,  that  it  would 
be  attended  with   the    most    dangerous  consequences  ; 
and  this  has  been  the  only  cause  why  the  Methodise 
ministers  and  Mr.  Leile,  have  not  made  a  greater  prog- 
ress in  the  ministry  amongst  the  slaves.     Alas  !    how 
much  is  it  to  be  lamented,  that  a  full  quarter  of  a  ?nillion 
of  poor  souls  should  so  long  remain  in  a  state  of  nature  ; 
and  that  masters  should  be  so  blind  to  their  own  interest, 
as  not  to  know  the  difference  between  obedience,  enforc- 
ed by  the  lash  of  the  whip,  and  that  which  flows  from 
religious  principles.     Although  1  much  admire  the  gener- 
al doctrine  preached  in  the  Methodist  church,  yet  1  by  no 
means  approve  of  their  discipline  set  up  by  Mr.  Wesley, 
that  reverend  man  of  God.     1  very  early  saw  into  the 
impropriety  of  admitting  slaves  into  their  societies,  with- 
out permission  of  their  owners,  and   told  them  the  conse- 
quences that  would  attend  it  ;  but  they  rejected  my  ad- 
vice ;  and  it  has  not  only  prevented  the  increase  of  their 
church,  but  has  raised  them  many  enemies.     Mr.  Leile 
has  very  wisely  acted  a  different  part.     He  has,  I  believe, 
admitted  no  slaves  into  his  society  but  those  who  had  ob- 
tained permission  from  their  owners,  by  which  he  has 
made  many  friends  ;    and  I  think  the  Almighty  is  now 
opening  a  way  for  another  church  in  the  capital,  where 
the  Methodists  could  not  gain  any  ground.     A  short 
time  will  determine  it,  of  which  I  shall  advise  you.     I 
really  have  not  time  to  enter  so  fully  on  this  subject  as 
I  wish,  being  very  much  engaged  in  my  own   temporal 
affairs,  and  at  present  having  no  clerk.     The  love  I  bear 


200  Mr.  Bailey* 's  Character  of  George  Lei/e. 

to  the  cause  of  God,  and  the  desire  I  have  of  being  any 
ways  instrumental  to  the  establishing  of  it  in  this  land 
of  darkness,  has  led  me  to  write  this ;  but  before  I  con- 
elude,  I  have  some  very  interesting  particulars  to  lay 
before  you.  Mr.  Leile  has,  by  the  aid  of  his  congrega- 
tion, and  the  assistance  of  some  few  people,  raised  the 
walls  of  a  church  ready  to  receive  the  roof»  but  has  not 
the  means  to  .lay  it  on  and  finish  it ;  nor  do  I  see  any 
prospect  of  its  going  further,  without  he  receives  the  aid 
of  some  religious  institution  from  home.  One  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds,  I  think,  would  complete  it  ;  and  if  this 
sum  could  be  raised,  it  would  greatly  serve  the  cause  of 
God,  and  might  be  the  means  of  bringing  many  hundred 
souls,  who  are  now  in  a  state  of  darkness,  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  our  great  Redeemer.  If  this  could  be  raised,  the 
sooner  the  better.  Our  family  contributed  towards  the 
purchase  of  the  Methodist  chapel ;  nor  shall  our  mite  be 
wanting  to  forward  this  work,  if  it  meets  with  any  encour- 
agement from  home.  I  am  a  stranger  to  you,  but  you 
may  know  my  character  from  Daniel  Shea,  Esq.  and 
John  Parker,  Esq.  merchants  in  your  city  ;  or  from  Mr. 
Samuel  Yockney,  tea-dealer,  in  Bedford  Row. 

"  Perhaps  you  may  expect  me  to  say  something  of 
Mr.  Leile's  character.  He  is  a  very  industrious  man, 
decent  and  humble  in  his  manners  ;  and,  I  think,  a  good 
man.  This  is  my  opinion  of  him.  I  love  all  Christians 
of  every  denomination  ;  and  remain,  with  respect  and 
sincere  regard,  Rev.  Sir,  your  friend  and  Servant, 

"STEPHEN   COOKE." 

In  1 793,  Mr.  George  Gibbs  Bailey,  of  Bristol,  En- 
gland, then  at  Kingston,  wrote  as  follows  respecting  our 
worthy  brother  George :  "  I  have  inquired  of  those, 
who,  I  thought,  could  give  me  an  account  of  Mr.  Leile's 
conduct,  and  I  can  say,  with  pleasure,  what  Pilate  said, 
"  1  can  find  no  fault  in  this  ?nan."  The  Baptist  church 
thrives  abundantly  among  the  negroes,  more  than  any 
denomination  in  Jamacia  ;  but  I  am  sorry  to  say,  the 
Methodist  church  is  declining  greatly." 

The  following  Letter  to  Dr.  Rippon  was  dated  Kings- 
ton, Jamaica,  May  18,  1792. 


George  Let/is  Letter  to  Dr.  Rippon.  201 

€c  Rev.  and  dear  Sir, 

"In  answer    to  yours,  I  wrote  the  1 8th  December 
last ;    and  as  I  have  not  received  a  line  from  you  since, 
1  send  this,  not  knowing  but  the  other  was  miscarried. 
Mr.  Green  has  called  upon  me,  and  very  kindly  offered 
his  service  to  deliver  a  letter  for  me  into  your  hands  ; 
he   also  advised  me   to  send  you   a  copy  of  our  church 
covenant-,  which  I  have  done  ;  being  a  collection  of  some 
of  the  principal  texts  of  Scripture  which  we  observe, 
both  in    America  and  this  country,  for  the  direction  of 
our  practice.     It  is  read  once  a  month  here  on  sacra- 
ment meetings,  that  our  members  may  examine  if  they 
live  according  to  all  those  laws  which   they  professed, 
covenanted,  and  agreed  to  :  by  this  means  our  church 
is  kept  in  scriptural  subjection.     As  I  observed  in  my 
last,  the  chiefest  part  of  our  society  are  poor  illiterate 
slaves,  some  living  on  sugar  estates,  some  on  mountains, 
pens,  and  other  settlements,  that  have  no  learning,  no, 
not  so  much  as  to  know  a  letter  in  the  book  ;  but  the 
reading  this  covenant  once  a  month,  when   all  are  met 
together  from  the  different  parts  of  the   island,  keeps 
them  in  mind  of  the  commandments  of  God.     And  by 
shewing  the  same  to  the  gentlemen  of  the  Legislature, 
the  justices,  and  magistrates,  when  I  applied  for  a  sanc- 
tion, it  gave  them  general  satisfaction  ;  and  whenever  a 
negro  servant  is  to  be  admitted,  their  owners,  after  the 
perusal  of  it,  are  better  satisfied.     We  are  this  day  rais- 
ing  the  roof  on  the   walls  of  our  meetirg-house  ;   the 
height  of  the  wall  from  the  foundation  is  seventeen  feet. 
I  have  a  right  to  praise  God,  and  glorify   him  for  the 
manifold   blessings  i  have  received,  and   do  still  receive 
from  him.     I  have  full  liberty  from  Spanish-Town,   the 
capital  of  this  country,  to  preach  the  gospel  throughout 
the  island.     The  Lord  is  blessing  the  work  every  where, 
and   believers    are    added   daily   to  the    church.      My 
tongue  is  not  able  to  express  the  goodness  of  the  Lord, 
As  our  meeting-house  is  out  of  the  town,  (about  a  mile 
and  a  half)  I  have  a  steeple  on  it,  to   have  a  bell  to  give 
notice  to  our  people,  and  more  particularly  to  the  own- 
ers of  slaves  that  are  in  our  society,  that  they  may  know 
the  hour  on  which  we  meet,  and  be  satisfied  that  their 
VOL.  2.  '26 


2O2  George  Leile's  Letter  to  Dr.  Rippon. 

servants  return  in  due  time  ;  for  which  reason,  I  shall 
be  greatly  obliged  to  you  to  send  me  out,  as  soon  as 
possible,  a  bell,  that  can  be  heard  about  two  miles  dis- 
tance, with  the  price.  I  have  one  at  present,  but  it  is 
rather  small.  The  slaves  may  then  be  permitted  to 
come  and  return  in  due  time  ;  for  at  present  we  meet 
very  irregular,  in  respect  to  hours.  I  remain  with  the 
utmost  regard,  love,  and  esteem,  Rev,  Sir,  yours,  &c. 

"GEORGE  LLILE." 

The  next  January,  Mr.  Leile  wrote  again  to  Dr.  Rip- 
pon as  follows  : 

"  Our  meeting-house  is  now  covered  in,  and  the  low- 
er floor  was  completed  the  24th  of  last  month.  We 
suppose  we  are  indebted  for  lumber,  lime,  bricks,  &c. 
between  4  and  50O  pounds.  I  am  not  able  to  express 
the  thanks  1  owe  for  your  kind  attention  to  me,  and 
the  cause  of  God.  The  school-master,  together  with 
the  members  of  our  church,  return  their  sincere  thanks 
for  the  books  you  have  been  pleased  to  send  them  :  being 
so  well  adapted  to  the  society,  they  have  given  great  sat- 
isfaction. 

"  I  hope  shortly  to  send  yon  a  full  account  of  the 
number  of  people  in  our  societies,  in  different  parts  of 
this  island.  I  have  baptized  near  500. 

"  I  have  purchased  a  piece  of  land  in  Spanish-Town, 
the  capital  of  this  island,  for  a  burying-ground,  with  a 
house  upon  it,  which  serves  for  a  meeting-house.  James 
Jones,  Ksq.  one  of  the  magistrates  of  this  town,  and 
Secretary  of  the  island,  told  me,  that  the  Hon.  William 
Mitchell,  Esq.  the  Gustos,  had  empowered  him  to  grant 
me  license  to  preach  the  gospel,  and  they  have  given  me 
liberty,  to  make  mention  of  their  names  in  any  congrega- 
tion where  we  are  interrupted.  Mr.  Jones  has  given  per- 
mission for  all  his  negroes  to  be  taught  the  word  of  God. 
The  gospel  is  taking  great  effect  in  this  town.  My 
brethren  and  sisters,  in  general,  most  affectionately  give 
their  Christian  love  to  you,  and  all  the  dear  lovers  of 
Jesus  Christ  in  your  church  at  London,  and  beg  that 
they  and  all  the  other  churches  will  remember  the  poor 
Ethiopian  Baptists  of  Jamaica  in  their  prayers.  I  remain, 
dear  Sir  and  brother,  your  unworthy  fellow-labourer  in 
Christ,  GEORGE 


Thomas  N.  Swigle's  Letters  to  Dr.  Rippon.        203 

The  April  following,  one  of  Mr.  Leile's  associates  thus 
wrote  to  the  assiduous  Doctor,  who  took  much  pains  to 
learn  the  affairs  of  his  sable  brethren  : 

"  Rev.  and  dear  Sir. 

"  I  am  one  of  the  poor,  unworthy,  helpless  creatures, 
born  in  this  island,  whom  our  glorious  Master,  Jesus 
Christ,  was  graciously  pleased  to  call  from  a  state  of 
darkness  to  the  marvellous  light  of  the  gospel  j  and 
since  our  Lord  hath  bestowed  his  mercy  on  my  soul,  our 
beloved  minister,  by  the  consent  of  the  church,  appoint- 
ed me  deacon,  school-master,  and  his  principal  helper. 

"  We  have  great  reason  in  this  island  to  praise  and 
glorify  the  Lord,  for  his  goodness  and  loving-kindness, 
in  sending  his  blessed  gospel  amongst  us,  by  our  well- 
beloved  minister,  brother  Leile.  We  were  living  in 
slavery  to  sin  and  Satan,  and  the  Lord  hath  redeemed 
our  souls  to  a  state  of  happiness,  to  praise  his  glorious 
and  ever-blessed  name  ;  and  we  hope  to  enjoy  everlasting 
peace  by  the  promise  of  our  Lord  and  Master,  Jesus 
Christ.  The  blessed  gospel  is  spreading  wonderfully 
in  this  island  :  believers  are  daily  coming  into  the  church ; 
and  we  hope  in  a  little  time  to  see  Jamaica  become  a 
Christian  country. 

"  I  remain,  respectfully,  Rev.  and  dear  Sir,  your  poor 
brother  in  Christ, 

"  THOMAS  NICHOLAS  SWIGLE." 

I  find  no  account  of  the  progress  of  this  church,  nor 
of  the  affairs  of  our  African  brethren  in  this  island,  for 
about  nine  years  from  the  last-mentioned  date,  until  the 
following  letter  was  written,  by  which  it  appears  that 
they  were  in  a  prosperous  state. 

"  Kingston,  Jamaica,  May  1,  1802. 
"  Rev.  and  dear  Sir, 

"  Since  our  blessed  Lord  has  been  pleased  to  permit 
me  to  have  the  rule  of  a  church  of  believers,  I  have  bap- 
tized one  hundred  and  eleven ;  and  I  have  a  sanction 
from  the  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas  Rees,  rector  of  this  town 
and  parish,  who  is  one  the  ministers  appointed  by 
his  Majesty  to  hold  an  ecclesiastial  jurisdiction  over 


204  Thomas  N.  Sin'igle's  Letter 

the  clergy  in  this  island,  confirmed  by  a  lavv-  passed  by 
the  legislative  body  of  this  island,  made  and  provided 
for  that  purpose. 

"  Our  church  consists  of  people  of  colour,*  and  black 
people  ;  some  of  free  condition,  but  the  greater  part  of 
them  are  slaves  and  natives  from  the  different  countries 
in  Africa.  Our  number,  both  in  town  and  country,  is 
about  five  hundred  brethren,  and  our  rule  is  to  baptize 
once  in  three  months  ;  to  receive  the  Lord's  supper  the 
first  Lord's  day  in  every  month,  after  evening  service  is 
over  ;  and  we  have  meetings  on  Tuesday  and  Thurs- 
day evenings  throughout  the  year.  The  whole  body  of 
our  church  is  divided  into  several  classes  which  meet 
every  Monday  evening,  to  be  examined  by  their  class- 
leaders,  respecting  their  daily  walk  and  conversation ; 
and  I  am  truly  happy  to  acquaint  you,  that  since  the 
gospel  has  been  preached  in  Kingston,  there  never  was 
so  great  a  prospect  for  the  spread  of  the  same  as  there  is 
now.  Numbers  and  numbers  of  young  people  are  flock- 
ing daily  to  join  both  our  society  and  the  Methodists, 
who  have  about  four  hundred.  Religion  so  spreads  in 
Kingston,  that  those  who  will  not  leave  the  Church  of 
England  to  join  the  Dissenters  have  formed  themselves 
into  evening  societies.  It  is  delightful  to  hear  the  peo- 
ple, at  the  different  places,  singing  psalms,  hymns  and 
spiritual  songs  ;  and  to  see  a  great  number  of  them,  who 
lived  in  the  sinful  state  of  fornication,  (which  is  the  com- 
mon way  of  living  in  Jamaica)  now  married,  having  put 
away  that  deadly  ^n. 

"  Our  place  of  worship  is  so  very  much  crowded,  that 
numbers  are  obliged  to  stand  out  of  doors.  We  are  going 
to  build  a  l.irger  chapel  as  soon  as  possible.  Our  people 
being  poor,  and  so  many  of  them  slaves,  we  are  not 
able  to  go  on  so  quick  as  we  could  wish,  without  we 
should  meet  with  such  friends  as  love  our  Lord  and 
Master,  Je^us  Christ,  to  enable  us  in  going  on  with  so 
glorious  an  undertaking. 

"1  preach,  baptize,  marry,  attend  funerals,  and  go 
through  every  work  of  the  ministry  without  fee  or  re- 

*  In  most  p'irts  of  the  United  States,  the  term  fieofile  of  colour  is  intended 
to  be  a  more  respectful  name  tor  black  people ;  but  it  is  probable  the  ^vriter 
here  intends  creates. 


1o  Dr.  Rippvn.  205 

ward  ;  and  I  can  boldly  say,  for  these  sixteen  years  since 
I  b-j^an  to  teach  and  instruct  the  poor  Ethiopians  in  this 
island  the  word  of  God,  (though  many  and  many  times 
travelling  night  and  day  over  rivers  and  mountains,  to 
inculcate  the  ever-blessed  gospel)  that  1  never  was  compli- 
mented \\irh  so  much  as  a  pair  of  shoes  to  my  feet,  or  a 
hat  to  my  head,  or  money,  or  apparel, or  any  thing  eLc,  as 
a  recompense  for  my  labour  and  my  trouble,  from  any  of 
my  brethren,  or  any  other  person.  My  intention  is  to 
follow  the  example  set  before  me  by  the  holy  Apostle 
St.  Paul,  to  labour  with  my  hands  for  the  things  1  stand 
in  need  of,  to  support  myself  and  family,  and  to  let  the 
church  of  Christ  be  free  from  incumbrances. 

"  We  have  five  trustees  to  our  c'rapel  and  burying- 
ground,  eight  deacons,  and  six  exhorters. 

"  1  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  Mr.  V.  of  his  Majesty's 
ship  Cumberland,  in  this  town,  who  has  been  at  my 
house  and  at  our  chapel,  and  has  seen  all  my  church- 
books,  and  the  manner  in  which  I  have  conducted  our 
society.  He  has  lately  sailed  for  England  with  Admiral 
Montague,  and  when  he  sees  you,  he  will  be  able  to  tell 
you  of  our  proceedings  better  than  I  can  write. 

"  All  my  beloved  brethren  beg  their  Christian  love  to 
you  and  all  your  dear  brethren  in  the  bes't  bonds  ;  and 
they  also  beg  yourself  and  them  will  be  pleased  to  re- 
member the  poor  Ethiopian  Baptists  in  their  prayers, 
and  be  pleased  also  to  accept  the  same  from,  Rev.  and 
dear  Sir,  your  poor  unworthy  brother  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  THOMAS  NICHOLAS  SWIG^E. 

"  P.  5.  Brothers  Baker,  Gilbert,  and  others  of  the 
Africans,  are  going  on  wonderfully  in  the  Lord's  service, 
in  the  interiour  part  of  the  country." 

The  circumstance  of  Mr.  Swigle's  being  in  the  care  of 
the  church  at  Kingston,  led  me  to  think  that  George 
Leile  was  dead.  But  I  now  conclude  that  he  was  then 
labouring  in  the  interiour  of  the  country.  I  have  lately 
learnt  from  Mr.  Johnson  of  Savannah,  and  he  received 
his  information  from  the  coloured  brethren  there,  that 
letters  were  received  in  Savannah,  about  1810,  from 
Mr.  Leile,  stating  that  he  had  met  with  great  success  in 


206         African  Baptists  in  one  of  the  Bahama  Islands. 

his  ministry ;  that  he  had  constituted  a  respectable 
church  in  the  interiour  of  the  country,  as  a  branch  of 
the  mother  church ;  that  the  meeting-house  in  Kings- 
ton, with  the  steeple  and  bell,  cost  four  thousand  pounds. 

A  short  Account  of  the  African   Baptists  in  Providence,  one 
of  the  Bahama  Islands. 

In  )79l,  George  Leile  wrote  to  Dr.  Rippon  as  fol- 
lows :  "  Brother  Amos is  at  Providence.  He 

writes  me  that  the  gospel  has  taken  good  effect,  and  is 
spreading  greatly.  He  has  about  three  hundred  mem- 
bers." This  Amos  was  a  negro  preacher,  and  proba- 
bly went  from  Georgia  with  George  Leile.  It  appears 
by  Asplund's  Register,  that  this  church  was  gathered  in 
]  788.  I  have  also  learnt  from  Mr.  Johnson,  that  letters 
were  received  from  Amos  by  the  black  brethren  in  Sa- 
vannah, in  the  autumn  of  1812,  stating  that  his  church 
had  increased  to  eight  hundred  and  fifty. 

I  know  of  no  other  Baptist  churches  in  the  West-In- 
dies. The  Methodists  and  Moravians  have  made  nume- 
rous converts,  and  formed  large  establishments.  In 
1809,  according  to  Lee's  History  of  the  Methodists, 
there  were  of  that  society,  in  all  the  West-India  islands, 
upwards  of  twelve  thousand. 

The  African  Baptist  churches  in  Philadelphia,  New- 
York,  and  Boston,  have  been  noticed  under  the  heads 
of  those  respective  cities. 

We  shall  now  close  this  chapter  with  some  general 
observations  on  the  condition  of  the  converted  negroes, 
and  the  slaves  generally  in  the  southern  States.  We 
shall  not  enter  into  the  merits  of  slavery,  nor  dwell 
much  upon  the  arguments  which  are  brought  for  and 
against  it.  We  design  to  go  no  farther  into  the  investi- 
gation of  this  unhappy  policy,  than  to  exhibit  something 
of  the  circumstances  of  our  African  brethren,  who  are 
involved  in  it. 

Slaves  are  the  most  numerous  in  Virginia,  the  two 
Carolinas,  Georgia,  Kentucky,  and  Tennessee.  There 
are  some  in  a  number  of  the  other  States  ;  but  in  these 
six,  the  great  body  of  them  is  found,  and  Virginia  alone 
contains  about  three  hundred  thousand,  almost  one-third 


Observations  on  Slavery.  207 

of  its  whole  population.  And  I  know  not  but  the  pra- 
portion  is  as  great  in  the  five  other  States.  In  all  the 
States  under  consideration  there  are  multitudes  of  black 
people  and  Creoles,-  who  are  not  slaves.  Some  are  the 
descendants  of  manumitted  ancestors  ;  many  who  were 
born  slaves  have  been  liberated  by  benevolent  and  con- 
scientious owners,  and  others  have  purchased  their  own 
freedom. 

Multitudes  of  the  inhabitants  of  these  States  have  noth- 
ing to  do  with  slavery  ;  some  from  principle,  and  others 
for  the  want  of  means  to  obtain  them. 

The  Quakers,  who  are  numerous  in  some  of  the  south- 
ern States,  to  their  praise  be  it  spoken,  would  never  hold 
slaves. 

The  Methodists  in  some  places  set  out  on  this  princi- 
ple :  their  ministers  preached  against  slavery  ;  many  set 
them  at  liberty  ;  but  I  believe  at  present  their  scruples  are 
mostly  laid  aside. 

The  Baptists  are  by  no  means  uniform  in  their  opin- 
ions of  slavery.  Many  let  it  alone  altogether  ;  some  re- 
monstrate against  it  in  gentle  terms  ;  others  oppose  it 
vehemently  ;  while  far  the  greater  part  of  them  hold 
slaves,  and  justify  themselves  the  best  way  they  can. 

In  the  six  States  we  have  named,  there  are  now  about 
ninety  thousand  Baptist  communicants  ;  and  I  conclude 
as  many  as  forty  thousand  of  this  great  number  are  ne- 
groes. Many  of  them  it  is  true  are  free,  but  the  greatest 
part  of  them  are  slaves.  Thousands  of  them  are  owned 
by  Baptist  masters,  and  others  by  other  people.  The 
owners  of  slaves  have  generally  been  loaded  with  re- 
proachful invectives  for  their  practice.  They  have  been 
ail,  without  discrimination,  charged  with  a  want  of  both 
principle  and  feeling,  with  tyranny,  cruelty,  and  oppres- 
sion. But  "  to  discriminate  is  just." — Many  must  be 
blamed,  but  others  ought  rather  to  be  pitied.  Many  of 
the  best  of  masters  have  slaves,  who  are  idle,  thievish, 
stupid,  and  suspicious,  and  every  way  calculated  to  vex 
their  feelings  and  mar  all  their  enjoyments  :  and  what- 
ever may  be  said  of  the  condition  of  their  slaves,  all 
must  allow  that  the  masters'  is  more  wretched  than 
theirs.  Many  I  have  seen  are  heartily  sick  of  having 
slaves  about  them,  and  think  that  the  people  at  the 


208         "  Reasons  for  holding  Slaves. 

northward,  who  are  free  from  the  incumbrance  of  this 
troublesome  property,  are  far  more  h<ippy  than   they. 

In  travelling  to  collect  materials  for  this  work,  I  spent 
about  five  months  in  the  six  States  now  under  consider- 
ation. I  set  out  with  a  determination  to  say  nothing  on 
the  subject  of  slavery  ;  but  people  would  converge  upon 
it.  Some  were  very  curious  to  learn  the  minds  of  the 
northern  people  respecting  slavery ;  others  wanted  to 
know  how  we  could  do  our  work  without  negroes  ;  and 
many  were  anxious  to  clear  themselves  of  the  unjust  as- 
persions, which,  in  their  opinions,  had  been  cast  upon 
them.  There  is  a  class  of  people,  (though  I  am  happy  to 
say  I  do  not  find  many  in  it  who  profess  religion)  that 
entrench  themselves  around  with  their  laws,  their  cus- 
toms, and  their  wealth,  and  spurn  with  indignity  any 
scruple  of  the  lawfulness  of  holding  slaves.  There  is 
another  class,  who  are  so  amazingly  suspicious  that  you 
are  about  to  censure  them,  that  it  seems  really  cruel  to 
mention  one  word  against  the  slave-holding  policy.  But 
by  far  the  greater  part  of  those  brethren,  who  are  con- 
cerned in  slavery,  converse  upon  the  subject  with  much 
frankness,  and  the  following  are  the  principal  reasons 
which  they  assign  for  their  practice : 

1st.  They  had  no  hand  in  bringing  them  into  the 
country  ;  but  since  they  are  brought,  somebody  must 
take  care  of  them. 

2d.  They  cost  them  much  money,  generally  from 
three  to  five  hundred  dollars  apiece,  and  sometimes  more ; 
if  they  set  them  free,  all  this  must  be  sacrificed. 

3d.  Others  observed  they  had  inherited  their  slaves 
as  a  part  of  their  patrimonial  estate  :  they  came  to  them 
without  their  seeking,  and  now  they  know  no  better 
way  than  to  find  them  employment,  and  make  them  as 
comfortable  as  their  circumstances  would  permit. 

4th.  Some  mentioned  that  the  Romans  and  other 
nations  had  slaves ;  that  they  were  numerous  at  the 
introduction  of  Christianity  ;  that  neither  Christ  nor 
the  Apostles,  nor  any  of  the  New-Testament  writers 
said  any  thing  against  it  ;  that  if  it  were  contrary  to 
the  spirit  of  the  gospel,  it  is  strange  that  it  is  no  where 
prohibited.  The  last  of  these  arguments  has  just  about 
as  much  weight  as  those  which  are  brought  in  support 


Mr.  Botsford's  Account  of  Slavery.  209 

o£  infant  baptism  ;    the  others  I  shall  leave  without 
any  comment. 

The  fact  is,  most  of  the  people  under  consideration, 
awoke  into  being  surrounded  with  slaves,  and  now  they 
must  make  the  best  they  can  of  their  situation. 

But  it  is  a  well-known  and  pleasing  fact,  that  the  evils 
of  slavery  are  yearly  diminishing.  Worldly  policy  has 
done  something  towards  ameliorating  the  condition  of 
this  numerous  class  of  pitiful ;  beings  but  religion  has 
done  much  more. 

Anxious  that  these  strictures  should  be  made  with 
candour  and  correctness,  and  give  a  true,  impartial  rep- 
resentation of  the  business  of  slavery,  as  it  is  practised 
among  our  southern  brethren,  I  addressed  a  number  of 
ministers  on  the  subject,  and  requested  their  assistance 
towards  forming  this  article.  But  few,  however,  seem- 
ed inclined  to  say  much  about  it.  But  Mr.  Botsford  of 
Georgetown,  South-Carolina,  entered  cheerfully  and  in- 
genuously upon  the  subject,  and  the  following  is  a  part 
of  his  communication.  "  I  have  now  been  in  this  coun- 
try upwards  of  forty-six  years,  as  I  arrived  in  Charles- 
ton from  England  in  1766,  then  something  more  than 
twenty  years  of  age,  and  had  never  heard  much  respect- 
ing the  negroes,  or  had  seen  more  than  four  or  five.  I 
had  every  prejudice  I  could  have  against  slavery.  I  must 
confess  to  this  day,  I  am  no  advocate  for  it.  But  it  does 
not  appear  to  me  in  the  same  light  it  did  on  my  first  ar- 
rival. It  is  true,  the  slaves  have  no  hope  of  freedom, 
and  it  is  also  true,  they  have  no  proper  idea  of  the  nature 
of  freedom.  Many  in  their  own  country  were  slaves, 
and  many  who  were  not,  were  miserable.  Several  with 
whom  I  have  conversed,  have  really  preferred  their  pres- 
ent state  in  this  country  to  their  own  country,  though 
in  that  they  were  free.  It  is  more  than  probable,  how- 
ever, were  the  slave-trade  abolished,  their  own  country 
would  be  more  desirable.  I  will  give  you  an  anecdote  of 
a  middle  aged  woman,  who  came  to  me  a  few  weeks  ago, 
to  tell  me  the  good  things  God  had  done  for  her  soul. 
Among  other  things,  she  very  heartily  thanked  God  for 
bringing  her  into  this  country,  to  hear  the  blessed  gospel. 
"  Well  but,"  said  I,  "  you  are  a  slave."  She  replied, 
"  O,  Massa,  I  am  a  slave  for  true,  but  I  have  a  good  mas* 
VOL.  2.  27 


2  ID  Cruelty  of  a  Slave-holder. 

sa  and  missis.  I  wish  all  my  countrymen  and  women 
were  here  to  hear  this  blessed  gospel."  "  What,  and  be 
slaves  too?"  said  I.  "O  Massa,"  said  she,  "my  own  coun- 
try too  bad  i  this  the  best  country  for  poor  negro,  too 
much  if  he  get  good  Massa."  She  is  not  the  only  one  I  have 
heard  express  themselves  in  much  the  same  manner." 

Mr.  Botsford  observes  that  there  are  but  few  planta- 
tions in  South-Carolina,  which  have  not  an  opportunity 
of  attending  worship,  either  among  themselves  or  at 
some  publick  place.  Some  masters,  it  is  true,  discourage 
all  kinds  of  worship  among  their  slaves  ;  but  many,  who 
are  not  religious  themselves,  are  yet  willing  that  their 
slaves  should  attend  to  religion,  and  suffer  them  to  go 
to  places  of  worship,  and  permit  exhorters  to  come  on 
their  plantations,  &c. 

Mr.  Botsford  has  a  few  slaves  in  his  possession,  and 
his  reasons  for  holding  them  are  as  follows  :  "  Provi- 
dence has  cast  my  lot  where  slavery  is  introduced  and 
practiced,  under  the  sanction  of  the  laws  of  the  coun- 
try. Servants  I  want ;  it  is  lawful  for  me  to  have  them  ; 
but  hired  ones  I  cannot  obtain,  and  therefore  I  have 
purchased  some :  I  use  them  as  servants  ;  I  feed  them, 
clothe  them,  instruct  them,  &c.  j— as  1  cannot  do  as  I 
would,  I  do  as  I  can." 

The  existence  of  slavery  in  a  country  is  calculated  to 
awaken  all  the  propensities  of  human  nature,  whether 
good  or  bad.  Those  who  are  so  disposed,  have  abun- 
dant opportunities  to  play  the  tyrant,  and  to  vent  all  their 
merciless  and  angry  passions  upon  a  set  of  poor,  de- 
fenceless fellow  beings  ;  while  those  who  are  inclined 
to  tenderness  and  compassion,  may  always  find  occasions 
for  displaying  these  noble  virtues.  The  following  anec- 
dotes will  exemplify  these  remarks.  A  planter  in  the 
upper  part  of  Georgia,  went  down  to  Charleston  to  pur- 
chase slaves.  A  cargo  had  just  been  landed — they  were 
set  up  at  auction — declared  to  be  sound  in  wind  and 
limb,  and  were  struck  off  to  the  highest  bidder.  This 
planter  purchased  his  complement,  and  the  driver  con- 
ducted  them  off.  On  the  way  to  Augusta,  one  of  the 
women  accidentally  saw  the  man  who  had  been  her 
husband  in  Africa  ;  the  dissevered  pair  immediately  re- 
cognized each  other,  and  their  feelings  at  this  unexpect- 


Anecdote  of  pious  old  Jack,  a  Slavf.  211 

cd  meeting  may  be  conceived  by  those,  who  are  acquaint- 
ed with  conjugal  affection.  The  owner  of  the  husband 
was  moved  at  the  scene,  and  proposed  either  to  sell  or 
buy,  that  the  poor  creatures  might  live  together  on  the 
same  plantation.  But  the  other,  hard-hearted  man  ! 
would  do  neither.  They  of  course  were  soon  parted  ; 
the  woman  was  conducted  up  the  country,  and  soon  af- 
ter died  with  grief. 

I  spent  a  night  with  a  Baptist  minister  in  Georgia, 
who  had  a  plantation  of  about  fifty  slaves.  By  his  re- 
quest I  took  the  lead  in  the  devotion  of  the  evening. 
A  large  company  of  negroes  assembled  in  the  hail. 
Their  attention  was  solemn  and  devout,  and  their 
singing  melodious.  At  the  close  of  the  exercises,  the 
master  exhorted  his  servants  in  a  very  affectionate  man- 
ner to  attend  to  what  they  had  heard.  Among  them 
was  a  very  aged  man,  to  whom  he  spoke  in  the  tender- 
est  manner,  and  inquired  respecting  his  spiritual  enjoy- 
ments, and  so  on.  His  answers  were  broken,  but  sensi- 
ble. After  the  negroes  had  retired,  my  worthy  brother 
gave  the  following  account  of  the  pious  old  Jack,  who 
was  supposed  to  be  at  least  a  hundred  years  old.  He 
had  belonged  to  a  neighbouring  estate,  which  had  been 
divided  and  run  down,  and  the  old  worn-out  servant 
was  left  without  support.  He  went  to  another  planta- 
tion among  his  kindred,  but  they  treated  him  unkind- 
ly, and  he  concluded  to  go  out  into  the  woods  and  die. 

Mr. one  day  returning  from  Savannah,  found  him 

wandering  in  the  road  :  he  inquired  who  he  was  ?  and 
having  heard  his  melancholy  tale,  took  him  into  his  car- 
riage, carried  him  home,  and  had  kept  him  a  number  of 
years,  without  any  reward,  or  ever  expecting  any. 

This  old  African  was  an  example  of  piety,  and  had  a 
striking  discernment  in  spiritual  things.  One  day  he  said 
to  his  master,  "  Massa,  me  no  like  dat  a  man  who  pray 
here  and  talk  to  us  lass  night."  "  Why,  Jack,  why  you 
no  like  him  ?"  "  O,  me  dont  know,  Massa,  he  pray  and 
tell  well  enough  ;  but  me  no  get  hold  of  him."  Soon 
after,  it  was  found  out  that  the  man  was  an  impostor. 

I  was  at  the  house  of  a  Baptist  minister  in  Virginia, 
who  had  many  slaves,  and  among  them  one,  who  was 
a  brother  in  the  ministry.  He  was  a  sensible  man  and  a 


212  A  Negro  wants  his  Master  re-baptized. 

very  acceptable  preacher.  He  had  a  wife  and  family  all 
comfortable  and  happy.  He  had  a  good  horse,  had  mon- 
ey at  interest,  and  was  called  abroad  to  preach  oftener  than 
his  master.  And  here  I  would  observe,  that  among  the 
African  Baptists  in  the  southern  States,  there  are  a  mul- 
titude of  preachers  and  exhorters,  whose  names  do  not 
appear  on  the  minutes  of  Associations.  They  preach 
principally  on  the  plantations  to  those  of  their  own 
colour  ;  and  their  preaching,  though  broken  and  illiter- 
ate, is  in  many  cases  highly  useful. 

The  following  anecdote  affords  a  cutting  reproof  to 
all  whom  it  implicates.  A  poor  ignorant  negro  came  to 
a  minister  with  a  melancholy  and  dejected  look,  and  de- 
sired him  to  come  and  baptize  his  master  again.  "  Why, 
Sambo,"  replied  the  minister,  "  what  is  the  matter  of 
your  master  ? "  "  O,  my  massa  been  one  good  massa 
•when  you  baptize  afore  ;  but  now  he  forget  all  his  relig- 
ion, and  scold,  and  vex,  and  whip  poor  negro." 

I  saw  a  man  in  Virginia,  who  was  bred  in  Massachu- 
setts :  he  went  to  Virginia  with  all  the  prejudices  of  a 
New-England  man  against  slavery,  and  was  determined 
at  all  events  he  would  never  traffick  in  human  flesh.  He 
soon  found  it  difficult  to  get  servants.  That  class  in 
society  who  cheerfully  serve  in  New-England  are  above 
the  business  here.  He  hired  his  neighbour's  slaves  ;  but 
they  were  miserable  help.  At  length  a  fine  looking 
black  woman,  of  about  thirty  years  of  age,  came  to  him 
and  begged  him  to  buy  her.  She  had  a  ticket  from  her 
master,  signifying  that  she  was  for  sale.  She  informed 
him  that  her  master  lived  twenty  miles  off — that  she 
had  lost  her  husband — that  she  had  two  children,  which 
her  master  intended  to  keep ;  but  his  affairs  were  such 
that  he  must  sell  her,  and  had  given  her  leave  to  find  a 
master  for  herself,  a  thing  very  common  in  these  coun- 
tries. She  furthermore  added,  that  a  man  stood  ready 
to  buy  her,  who  wanted  to  carry  her  down  the  Missisip- 
pi  river  ;  and  in  case  she  was  sold  to  him,  she  must  be 
parted  from  her  children  forever.  She  wept  and  beg- 
ged him  to  buy  her,  so  that  she  might  live  near  her  chil- 
dren. The  man  knew  not  what  to  do,  for  he  found  his 
principles,  his  interest,  and  compassion,  all  thrown  into 
immediate  collision  ;  but  as  interest  and  compassion 


Benevolence  in  the  Purchase  of  a  Slave.  21  s 

were  both  on  one  side,  they  overpowered  his  principles, 
and  he  bought  the  woman.  She  has  proved  a  faithful 
servant :  he  permits  her  to  go  twice  in  a  year  to  see  her 
children  ;  and  she  is  happy  and  contented,  and  blesses 
her  master  for  making  her  his  slave. 

These  anecdotes  are  absolutely  matters  of  fact,  without 
any  fiction  or  colouring,  and  they  are  specimens  of  what 
is  every  where  met  with  throughout  the  land  of  slaves. 

African  converts  are  numerous  among  the  Methodists 
as  well  as  Baptists.  The  Methodist  church  in  Charles- 
ton, a  few  years  since,  consisted  of  about  eighteen  hun- 
dred members.  It  was  supposed  that  fifteen  hundred 
or  more  of  them  were  negroes. 

But  after  all  we  can  say  of  the  kindness  of  masters  and 
the  comforts  of  slaves,  it  must  be  acknowledged  that 
thousands  of  these  wretched  beings  are  sunk  beneath  an 
enormous  load  of  oppressive  misery.  But  the  rich  grace 
of  God,  which  has  within  a  few  years  past  been  so  remark- 
ably diffused  in  these  States  among  both  masters  and 
slaves,  I  hope,  and  am  inclined  to  believe,  will  be  the  salt 
of  this  part  of  the  earth,  and  preserve  it  from  those 
dreadful  calamities,  which  many  have  feared.  Were  it 
not  for  this,  I  should  really  fear  that  oppressed  humanity 
would  one  day  collect  its  energies  to  a  point,  and  revenge 
itself  in  acts  of  terrible  retaliation  on  the  authors  of  its 
weighty  woes. 

Those,  who  may  wish  to  gain  further  information  of 
the  religious  negroes,  may  find  many  interesting  accounts 
in  Holcombe's  Letters  lately  published,  and  in  a  little 
piece  entitled  Sambo  and  Toney,  published  not  long  since 
by  Mr.  Botsford. 


CHAP.  XIV. 


TENNESEE. 


THIS  State  lies  west  of  North-Carolina,  to  which  it 
formerly  belonged,  and  directly  south  of  Kentucky,  from 
which  it  is  divided  by  an  east  and  west  line  j  it  is  natur- 
ally divided  into  two  grand  sections  by  the  Cumberland 
Mountains,  which  are  but  thinly  inhabited  ;  the  settle- 


214  Two  first  Baptist  Churches  extinct. 

ments  of  course  are  mostly  in  the  east  and  west  ends  of 
the  State.  These  two  divisions  are,  for  the  sake  of  dis- 
tinction, called,  the  one  East  and  the  other  West  Tennes- 
see. Knoxville  in  East,  and  Nashville  in  West  Tennessee, 
are  considered  the  capitals  or  principal  towns  in  their 
respective  divisions.  They  are  two  hundred  miles  "apart. 

The  Baptists  were  not,  as  in  Kentucky,  the  first  set- 
tlers in  this  State,  nor  have  they  been,  as  they  are  there, 
the  most  numerous  denomination  of  Christians.  The 
Presbyterians  took  the  lead  as  a  religious  denomination 
here,  and  in  1788,  according  to  Morse's  .Geography, 
when  there  were  but  ten  Baptist  churches  in  the  coun- 
try, and  most  of  these  very  small,  they  had  twenty-three 
large  congregations.  The  Methodists  also  made  an  early 
beginning  in  this  State,  especially  in  its  western  part, 
where  they  have  collected  many  societies,  and  they  are 
probably  now  the  most  numerous  of  any  one  denomina- 
tion in  the  State.  The  Presbyterians,  however,  are  con- 
siderably numerous ;  and  the  Baptists  have  increased 
much  within  a  few  years,  and  are  now  increasing  very 
fast,  especially  in  West-Tennessee. 

The  first  settlements  in  this  State  were  made  on  the 
Holston  river  and  its  waters,  in  East-Tennesee,  and  in 
the  south-east  corner  of  the  State  of  Virginia  ;  and  in 
these  settlements  the  first  Baptist  churches  were  establish- 
ed. It  is  said  there  were  two  churches  gathered  in  this 
part  of  Tennessee,  which  was  then  a  dangerous  wilder- 
ness, some  time  before  any  of  those  arose,  whose  history 
we  are  now  about  to  relate  ;  but  they  were  broken  up 
and  scattered,  during  the  time  of  the  Indian  war.  The 
circumstances  under  which  they  were  gathered,  I  have 
not  been  able  to  learn.  They  were  probably  collected 
some  time  after  the  year  1765,  and  broken  up  in  that 
Indian  war  which  happened  in  1774.  One  of  these 
churches  was  on  Clinch-River,  a  few  of  whose  members 
returned  after  the  war,  and  the  church  was  re-constituted 
by  the  name  of  Glade  Hollows,  and  now  belongs  to  the 
Holston  Association. 

But  the  beginning  of  the  first  churches  which  have 
had  a  permanent  standing  was  in  the  following  manner  : 
About  the  year  1780,  William  Murphy,  James  Keel, 
Thomas  Murrell,  Tidence  Lane,  Isaac  Barton,  Matthew 


First  permanent  Churches  in  Tennessee.  215 

Talbot,  Joshua  Kelly,  and  John  Chastain,  moved  into 
what  was  called  the  Holston  country,  when  it  was  in  a 
wilderness  state,  and  much  exposed  to  the  ravages  and 
depredations  of  the  Indians.  These  ministers  were  all 
Virginians,  except  Mr.  Lane,  who  was  from  North-Caro- 
lina. They  were  accompanied  by  a  considerable  number 
of  their  brethren  from  the  churches  which  they  left,  and 
were  followed  shortly  after  by  Jonathan  Mulky,  William 
Reno,  and  some  other  ministers  and  brethren,  and 
amongst  the  other  emigrants  there  was  a  small  body 
which  went .  out  in  something  like  a  church  capacity. 
They  removed  from  the  old  church  at  Sandy-Creek,  in 
North-Carolina,  which  was  planted  by  Shubael  Stearns  ; 
and  as  a  branch  of  the  mother  church,  they  emigrated  to 
the  wilderness,  and  settled  on  Boon's  Creek.  The  church 
is  now  called  Buffaloe  Ridge,  and  is  under  the  pastoral 
care  of  Jonathan  Mulky. 

In  J781,  one  year  after  the  settlement  of  most  of  the 
persons  above  mentioned,  five  or  six  churches  having 
been  established  by  the  emigrants,  they,  for  their  mu- 
tual advantage  and  edification,  concluded  to  meet  to- 
gether in  conference  twice  in  a  year  ;  this  conference, 
they,  in  a  short  time,  organized  into  a  temporary  Asso- 
ciation, which  they  chose  to  place  under  the  patronage 
and  direction  of  the  Sandy-Creek  Association  in  North- 
Carolina.  To  this  body  they  made  annual  returns  of 
their  proceedings,  which  they  submitted  for  their  inspec- 
tion and  approbation.  But  the  remoteness  of  their  sit- 
uation rendered  this  measure  so  inconvenient,  that  by 
the  approbation  of  their  North-Carolina  brethren,  they, 
in  1786,*  erected  their  body  into  a  distinct  and  indepen- 
dent Association  by  the  name  of  Holston.  This  Asso- 
ciation, at  this  time,  consisted  of  the  seven  following 
churches,  viz.  Kendrick's  Creek,  Bent  Creek,  Beaver 
Creek,  Greasy  Cove,  Cherokee,  North  Fork  of  Holston, 
and  Lower  French  Broad.  The  ministers  belonging  to 
it  at  this  time,  were  Jonathan  Mulky,  Tidence  Laner 
Isaac  Barton,  James  Keel,  William  Murphy,  John  Frost,, 
and  Alexander  Chambers.  A  few  of  these  ministers  in 

*  Mr.  Asplund  in  his  Register  dates  this  Association  in  1788;  but  the  date 
•which  I  have  given  must  be  correct,  as  1  took  it  from  tlie  reccixis  of  the  Asso- 
ciation. 


216  Association  divided. 

a  short  time  removed  to  other  parts,  but  most  of  them 
became  permanently  stationed  in  the  country,  and  have 
been  diligent  and  successful  labourers  in  this  part  of  the 
vineyard.  Most  of  the  early  Baptists  in  this  region  were 
of  the  old  Separate  order  :  some,  however,  were  Regu- 
lars j  but  the  leading  sentiments  of  both  were  Calvinist- 
ic,  and  there  was  so  little  difference  in  their  notions  of 
doctrine  and  discipline,  that  these  names  were  soon  for- 
gotten, and  they  went  on  together  with  great  union  and 
harmony.  This  Association  adopted  the  Philadelphia 
Confession  of  Faith,  at  the  time  of  its  constitution,  and 
still  adheres  to  the  doctrinal  sentiments  contained  in  that 
instrument.  They  held  an  occasional  correspondence, 
for  a  number  of  years,  with  some  of  the  Kentucky  As- 
sociations ;  but  the  distance  being  so  great,  and  the  in- 
conveniences attending  it  were  found  to  be  so  many, 
that  it  has  for  some  time  been  laid  aside.  There  has 
been  considerable  debate  at  different  times  in  this  body 
about  laying-on -of -hands  ;  but  it  is  left  at  present  for  min- 
isters, churches,  and  brethren,  each  one  to  follow  their 
own  light  and  convictions  on  the  subject.  Some  refresh- 
ing seasons  were  experienced  at  different  times  amongst 
the  churches  within  the  bounds  of  this  Association,  and 
it  progressed  with  a  good  degree  of  prosperity  until 
1802,  when,  by  a  mutual  agreement,  a  division,  which 
had  some  time  before  been  proposed,  was  effected.  The 
Association  at  the  time  of  this  division  contained  thirty- 
six  churches,  and  between  two  and  three  thousand  mem- 
bers. The  line  of  division  was  from  PowePs  River  to 
the  Flat  Gap,  on  the  Clinch  Mountain,  and  thence  by  a 
crooked  route  to  English's  Mountain.  All  the  churches 
to  the  north  of  this  line  remained  with,  and  retained  the 
name  and  constitution  of  the  Holston  Association  ;  while 
those  at  the  south  of  it  were  dismissed  to  form  a  new 
one,  which  they  called  Tennessee.  A  number  of  church- 
es and  some  of  the  oldest  in  this  body,  are  in  the  State 
of  Virginia.  In  1809,  the  Holston  Association  contained 
eighteen  churches,  1213  members,  and  thirteen  preach- 
ers, eight  of  whom  were  ordained,  and  five  were  not. 
The  churches  in  the  State  of  Tennessee  are  mostly  in 
the  counties  of  Green,  Hawkins,  Sullivan,  Washington, 


Tennessee  Association. 

Jefferson,  and  Carter.  Those  in  Virginia  are  in  the 
counties  of  Washington  and  Russel.*  In  the  time  of 
the  Great  Revival,  the  bodily  exercises  of  jerking,  danc- 
ing, &c.  were  considerably  prevalent  in  many  of  the 
churches  in  this  Association  and  in  the  Holston  settle- 
ments generally  ;  an  account  of  which  will  be  given  in 
the  history  of  that  remarkable  work. 

TENNESSEE    ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  Association,  as  has  been  related,  arose  from  the 
division  of  the  Holston,  in  1802.  It  did  not,  like  the 
mother  Association,  adopt  the  Confession  of  Faith,  but 
professed  to  hold  its  substance  and  spirit,  with  some  modi- 
fications of  some  of  the  articles  which  it  contains.  Many 
of  the  churches  in  this  body  are  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Knoxville,  and  most  of  them  are  on  the  Holston,  Ten- 
nessee, and  Clinch  Rivers.  It  received  its  name  from 
the  river,  which  gives  name  to  the  State.  This  Associa- 
tion has  already  become  considerably  large,  and  it  now 
extends  over  the  Clinch  River,  to  the  Cumberland 
Mountain  ;  and  a  few  churches  have  lately  been  gathered 
in  the  nooks  of  vallies  of  the  mountain,  on  land  which 
was,  till  within  five  or  six  years,  inhabited  by  the  abo- 
riginal proprietors  of  the  soii.f 

*  Mr.  Semple,  in  his  history  of  the  Virginia  Baptists,  makes  ten  churches  of 
this  Association  to  be  in  Virginia  ;  but  from  the  Minutes  which  I  took  when 
I  visited  it  in  1810,  there  were  but  three.  The  reason  of  this  disagreement  is 
probably  this.  I  was  informed  that  a  number  of  churches,  which  had  former- 
ly belonged  to  the  Association,  had,  for  some  cause  which  I  cannot  now 
relate,  withdrawn ;  these  churches  are  probablv  the  ones  in  question, 
and  had  not  withdrawn  when  Mr.  Semple  received  his  information. 

|  The  road  from  East  to  West  Tennessee  leiids  directly  over  the  stupend- 
ous and  terrible  piles  of  the  Cumberland  Mountains.  Eighty  miles  of  this 
road  are  most  rugged  and  dreary  indeed.  It  leads  through  land  till  lately 
claimed  by  the  Indians,  and  it  was  by  paying  an  annual  sum  for  the  privilege, 
that  the  United  States  government  obtained  permission  of  the  native  proprie- 
tors of  the  soil,  to  lay  open  a  road  through  this  desolate  region,  and  establish 
three  or  four  stands  where  houses  of  entertainment  were  kept  for  the  conve- 
nience of  travellers.  Bui  five  or  six  years  ago  a  very  large  tract  of  country, 
ia  which  this  road  was  included,  was  purchased  of  the  Indians,  and  their  claim 
to  it  forever  extinguished.  Since  that  period  a  few  settlements  have  been 
made  in  the  inhabitable  parts  of  the  mountains,  but  a  considerable  part  of 
them  are  wholly  unfit  for  settlement^  as  they  are  altogether  incapable  of  cul- 
tivation. There  are  now  many  inns  or  ordinaries  on  the  road  for  the  enter- 
tainment of  travellers,  inost  of  which  are  of  a  truly  inferiour  kind.  A  few  of 
them,  however,  are  kept  with  a  good  degree  of  neatness  and  attention,  and 
furnish  more  comforts  to  the  lonesome  traveller,  thai,  he  could  expect  to  find 
in  such  a  barren  and  inhospitable  desert.  This  road  I  found  the  most  dreary 
and  unpleasant  of  anv  which  I  travelled  in  any  of  the  United  States. 

One  night  I  tarried  at  an  inn  where  I  was  treated  with  much  hospitality. 
Shortly  after  I  arrived,  the  people  informed  me  that  two  panthers  had  later*' 
VOL.  2.  28 


218  West  Tennessee. 

This  Association  in  1 809,  contained  thirty  churches, 
fourteen  ordained  and  two  unordained  preachers,  and 
1466  communicants.  The  churches  are  principally  in 
the  counties  of  Knox,  Claiborne,  Seveir,  and  Jefferson. 
The  dispute  about  the  laying-on-of-hands  has  also  been, 
at  different  times,  agitated  in  this  Association  as  well  as 
in  the  Holston,  and  the  subject  is  also  left  on  the  same 
ground.  Robert  Fristoe  of  this  Association,  a  native  of 
Stafford  county,  in  Virginia,  and  nephew  to  the  famous 
Virginia  preachers  of  the  name,  usually  officiates  as  the 
Moderator  of  its  meetings,  and  is  considered  a  principal 
minister  in  the  body. 

WEST    TENNESSEE. 

THE  settlements  in  this  part  of  the  State  were  not 
commenced  till  a  number  of  years  after  those  in  East 
Tennesee  had  become  large  and  flourishing.  In  the  year 
1780,  a  party  of  about  forty  families,  invited  by  the 
richness  of  the  Cumberland  country,  under  the  guidance 
and  direction  of  Gen.  James  Robertson,  passed  through 
a  wilderness  of  at  least  3OO  miles  to  the  French  Lick, 
there  founded  the  town  of  Nashville,  on  the  Cumberland 
River,  and  commenced  settlements  on  the  luxuriant  soil 
in  its  vicinity.  But  I  have  not  learnt  that  there  were 
any  Baptists  in  this  company.  The  first  church  of  this 
denomination  in  West  Tennessee  was  gathered  in  1786, 
on  one  of  the  branches  of  Red  River,  called  Sulphur 

hcL-n  seen  by  the  side  of  the  road  which  I  had  passed,  and  that  one  of  these 
dreadful  animals  had,  net  long  before,  came  near  the  house  in  the  night,  and 
screamed  like  a  woman  in  distress,  and  came  near  decoying  the  man  of  the 
house  to  go  out  into  the  woods  to  search  for  what  he  supposed  at  first  a  bewil- 
dered and  unfortunate  sufferer.  They  had  but  just  finished  this  relation, 
•when  two  men  rode  up  to  the  door,  of  a  most  rustick  and  woodsy  appearance ; 
they  informed  us  that  they  were  in  pursuit  of  a  man  who  had  lately  broken  a 
log  jail,  some  distance  oft' down  the  mountain,  and  that  he  was  imprisoned  for 
robbing  and  murdering  a  traveller  on  the  road.  This  was  unpleasant  news 
for  me.  They  also  informed  us  there  were  lurking  a  few  miles  off,  two  noted 
horse-thieves  on  foot,  one  of  whom  had  lately  broken  jail  in  South-Carolina, 
and  had  fled  to  these  remote  mountains  for  protection,  and  that  they  were 
supposed  to  be  waiting  to  furnish  themselves  with  horses  to  expedite  their  es- 
cape to  still  remoter  regions,  as  horse-stealing  in  South-Carolina  is  a  capital 
crime ;  and  this,  I  thought,  was  bad  news  for  myself  and  horse  too.  The  peo- 
ple also  informed  me,  that  the  wolves  were  at  that  time  very  numerous  and 
voracious,  and  that  a  company  of  them  had,  a  day  or  two  before,  shown 
alarming  signs  of  insolence  and  hostility  to  some  travellers  on  the  road.  After 
hearing  all  these  unpleasant  relations,  I  committed  myself  to  the  divine  pro- 
tection, and  retired  to  rest  as  composedly  as  I  could ;  but  I  could  not  help  re- 
flecting that  I  must  ride  in  the  morning,  if  my  horse  was  not  stolen,  over 
rocks  and  mountains,  through  mud  and  snow,  ten  miles,  without  a  house  or 
inhabitant. 


First  Association  in  West-Tennessee.  219 

Fork,  some  considerable  distance  from  Nashville.     Who 
were  its  constituents  I  have  not  been  able  to  learn  ;  they 
must,  however,  have  been  an  adventurous  set  of  peo- 
ple, to  have  settled  in  such  a  remote  region,  where 
they  were  exposed  to  continual  alarms,  and  destructive 
depredations  from  the  Indians.     The  founders  of  this 
church  probably  emigrated  from  North-Carolina  or  Vir- 
ginia, about  the  year  1783,  when  a  swarm  of  emigrants 
poured  into  this  region  from  many  different  quarters. 
One  John  Grammar  was  for  a  short  time  their  pastor  ; 
but  he  removed  from  them,  and  the  church  was  dissolv- 
ed before  any  of  those  were  formed  which  are  now  in 
existence.     A  considerable  number  of  families  of  the 
Baptist  persuasion  had  settled  in  many  parts  of  the  Cum- 
berland country,*  but  it  was  not  till  the  year  179O,  that 
Baptist  churches  began  to  be  established,  or  the  denom- 
ination to  flourish.     In  the  course  of  five  or  six  years 
from  this  date,  five  churches  were  gathered ;  and  in  1 796, 
they  were  embodied  into  an  Association  called  Mero 
District,  after  the  name  of  a  civil  department,  which 
then  comprehended  all  the  counties  in  West-Tennessee. 
This  Association  has  become  the  mother  of  two  others, 
viz.  the  Red  River  and  Concord,  which  are  both  con- 
siderably large,  and  very  respectable  and  flourishing  es- 
tablishments.   The  five  churches,  which  at  first  composed 
the  Mero  Association,  were  Mouth  of  Sulphur  Fork, 
White's  Creek,  Head  of  Sulphur  Fork,  which  has  gen- 
erally been  known  by  the  name  of  Dorris's  church,  Mid- 
dle church  on  Sulphur  Fork,  and  the  church  on  the  west 
Fork   of  Station  Camp.      The  ministers,  who  had  as- 
sisted in  raising  up  these  churches,  were  Daniel  Brown, 
Joseph  Dorris,  Nathan  Arnett,  and  Patrick    Mooney. 
The  number  of  members  at  the  commencement  of  the 
Association  is  not  recorded,!  but  they  must  have  been 

*  As  the  first  settlements  in  this  part  of  Tennessee  were  made  on  the  Cum- 
berland River  and  its  vicinity,  the  whole  region  was  distinguished  by  the  name 
of  the  "  Cumberland  Country,  or  Cumberland  Settlements,"  and  it  was  not 
until  the  settlements  became  extensive,  that  the  name  of  West  Tennesee  was 
adopted. 

|  It  is  a  uniform  practice  with  all  the  Associations  in  the  western  and  most  of 
those  in  the  southern  States,  to  procure  a  blank  book  at  their  commencement, 
in  which  they  record  all  their  proceedings  and  all  remarkable  events.  Many 
Associatio.-is  could  not  conveniently  print  their  Minutes,  until  a  number  of  years 
aiter  their  commencement.  But  in  these  records  they  are  preserved.  This 


Eldest  Church  in  West-Tennessee. 

few.  The  church  at  the  Mouth  of  Sulphur  Fork  is  the 
oldest  now  in  existence  in  West-Tennessee.  It  was  con- 
stituted in  1791,  by  the  assistance  of  Klder  Ambrose 
Dudley  and  John  Taylor,  from  the  Hkhorn  Association 
in  Kentucky.  These  ministers  by  the  request  of  the 
brethren  in  this  place  travelled  not  far  from  two  hun- 
dred miles,  mostly  through  a  wilderness,  where  they 
were  continually  exposed  to  be  destroyed  by  the  Indians. 
This  church  was  at  first  called  Tennessee  ;  it  united  with 
the  Elkhorn  Association,  where  it  continued  until  the 
Mero  District  Association  was  formed.  This  church  re- 
mained alone  in  the  wilderness,  having  no  other  within 
more  than  a  hundred  miles  of  it,  until  1794,  when  that 
on  White's  Creek  in  Davidson  county,  about  six  miles 
to  the  north  of  Nashville,  was  gathered.  The  church  at 
the  Head  of  Sulphur  Fork  was  constituted  in  North- 
Carolina  in  1795,  and  immediately  after  emigrated  to 
this  country  in  a  church  capacity,  having  before  their 
removal  chosen  Joseph  Dorris  for  their  pastor ;  from 
this  circumstance,  this  has  been  generally  distinguished 
by  the  name  of  Dorris's  church.  The  Middle  church  on 
Sulphur  Fork  was  constituted  in  1796,  and  partly  of 
members,  who  had  belonged  to  the  church,  which  was 
gathered  in  J  786  ;  the  one  on  Station  Camp  was  raised  up 
the  same  year.  These  were  the  beginnings  of  the  Mero 
Association,  and  it  will  be  seen  by  recurring  to  the  geog- 
raphy of  the  country,  that  most  of  the  churches  were  on 
the  waters  of  the  Red  River,  and  that  all  of  them  were 
north  of  the  Cumberland. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Association  in  1797,  the 
churches  on  Richland  Creek,  Mill  Creek,  and  the  Head 
of  Red  River,  were  admitted  as  members  of  the  infant 
establishment.  That  on  Richland  Creek  was  the  first 
Baptist  church  which  was  gathered  on  the  south  side  of 
the  Cumberland  River.  The  Rev.  John  Dillohunty 
took  the  care  of  this  church  at  its  commencement,  and 
still  continues  their  much  respected  pastor.  He  emigra- 
ted from  the  Neuse  Association  in  North-Carolina,  and 
has  been  an  eminent  and  successful  Baptist  preacher  for 
fifty-five  years. 

comendable  practice  is  not  generally  adopted  by  the  Associations  in  the 
middle  and  eastern  States,  hut  it  is  certainly  worthy  their  attention.  These 
records  have  afforded  me  peculiar  service,  and  have  often  saved  me  much 
riding  and  labour. 


Harmony  of  the  Association  interrupted.          221 

The  church  on  Mill  Creek  was  the  second  one  raised 
on  the  south  side  of  the  Cumberland  River ;  it  is  like 
that  on  Richland  Creek  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Nash- 
ville. The  same  day  the  church  was  constituted,  Mr. 
James  Whitsett,  who  is  a  native  of  Virginia,  was  ordain- 
ed as  their  pastor,  in  which  office  he  still  continues.  He 
is  now  in  the  meridian  of  life,  and  by  a  kind  Providence 
placed  in  easy  circumstances,  and  is  laborious,  successful, 
and  highly  esteemed,  throughout  an  extensive  circle  of 
brethren  and  churches.  Robert  C.  Foster,  Esq.  a  plant- 
er of  considerable  opulence,  and  one  of  the  Senators  in 
the  State  Legislature,  is  a  member  of  this  church. 

From  1797  till   18O1,  the  Association  travelled  on  in 
a  prosperous  manner,  and  had   increased  to  eighteen 
churches,  in  which  were  sixteen   ministers  and  about 
1 200  members  j  but  now  its  progress  was  impeded,  and 
its  former  harmony  much  interrupted.     Some  reports 
had  gone  abroad  against  Joseph  Dorris,  who  had  at  this 
time  become  very  popular  as  a  preacher,  and  a  number 
of  things  had  appeared  in  his  conduct,  which  had,  for 
some  time,  been  a  source  of  peculiar  trial  to  many  of  his 
brethren.     But  no  steps  of  gospel  labour  were  taken 
with  him,  until  the  matter  was  abruptly  introduced  be- 
fore the  Association  at  Mill  Creek  in  the  year   180O,  by 
the  delegates  from  the  church  on  White's  Creek.    They, 
pursuant  to  instructions  received  from  their  constituents 
in  open  assembly,  declared  a  non- fellowship  with  both 
Dorris  and  his  church ;  with  Dorris  for  unchristian  be- 
haviour, and  with  his  church   for  not  dealing  with  him. 
The  matter,  being  thus  brought  before  the  Association, 
the  churches  were  advised  to  send  brethren  to  examine 
into  the  grounds  of  complaint  against  Dorris  and  his 
church.     An  examination  in  due  form  was  accordingly 
made  ;  and  though  the  charges  against  Mr.  Dorris  were 
many  and  grievous,  yet  nothing  could  be  sufficiently 
proved  to  justify  the  Association  in  excluding  either  him 
or  his  church  from  their  seats.     The  report  of  these  pro« 
ceedings  was  made  at  the   Association  in    1802,  on  the 
reception  of  which  the  churches  of  White's  Creek  and 
Jlichland  Creek  immediately  withdrew. 

No  further  steps  were  taken  at  this  meeting.     But  at 
an  extra  session  of  the  Association  in  the  April  follow- 


222          Association  dissolved  and  re-constituted. 

ing,  appointed  for  the  special  purpose  of  attending  to 
this  business,  it  was  resolved  that  Mr.  Dorris's  case  should 
be  reconsidered  ;  and  the  Association  proceeded  to  try 
their  obnoxious  brother  the  second  time  for  the  same 
offences.  He  however  acceded  to  the  proposal,  and  pro- 
fessed to  desire  a  full  and  fair  investigation  of  all  the 
charges  exhibited  against  him.  But  this  examination 
issued  like  the  former  ;  the  brethren  concerned  could 
not,  by  substantial  proofs,  convict  him  ;  nor  could  they, 
in  their  own  minds,  acquit  him.  His  friends  declared 
him  innocent,  but  others  alleged  that  he  had,  by  the 
connivance  of  his  party,  and  his  own  artful  mearures,  so 
entrenched  himself  on  every  side,  that  matters  could  not 
be  fairly  examined.  The  Association  now  relinquished 
their  pursuit  of  Mr.  Dorris,  and  began  to  study  how  they 
should  extricate  themselves  from  the  difficulty  in  which 
they  were  involved  on  his  account.  They  would  have 
been  glad  to  have  dismissed  him  and  his  church  at  first, 
but  he  was  as  much  determined  to  maintain  his  seat,  as 
his  brethren  were  to  displace  him.  The  Association, 
therefore,  at  last,  resorted  to  the  singular  expedient  of 
dissolving  their  body  and  forming  a  new  one,  into  which 
they  would  not  receive  him.  This  event  took  place  in 
the  year  1803.  The  new  Association,  which  originated 
in  this  curious  transformation,  was  called  Cumberland  ; 
and  all  the  churches,  which  had  belonged  to  the  old  As- 
sociation, united  with  the  new  one,  except  Dorris's  and 
three  other  small  ones,  which  sided  with  him.  These 
four  churches  continued  to  meet  under  the  name  of  the 
Mero  Association  ;  their  number  in  1 805,  amounted  to 
about  200  ;  but  they  have  never  prospered,  nor  increas- 
ed, nor  been  admitted  into  the  fellowship  of  any  of  the 
neighbouring  Associations. 

Mr.  Dorris,  of  whom  so  much  has  been  said,  and  who 
has  been  the  cause  of  so  much  trouble  to  his  brethren 
in  these  parts,  is  a  native  of  North-Carolina,  where  he 
commenced  his  ministry.  The  manner  of  his  removal 
to  this  country  has  been  related.  His  reputation  was 
sullied  before  he  left  his  native  State,  and  he  always 
moved  under  a  misty  cloud  of  censures  and  complaints 
since  he  settled  in  Tennessee.  The  burden  of  the  charg- 
es against  him  have  been  for  imprudent  or  criminal 


Cumberland  Association.  223 

Conduct  with  women,  that  fruitful  source  of  iniquity  and 
slander,  from  which  have  issued  a  thousand  polluted 
streams,  to  spot  the  garments  and  ruin  the  usefulness  of 
many,  who  have  assumed  the  ministerial  character.  But 
amidst  all  the  evil  reports,  which  have  been  circulated 
against  him  for  twenty  years,  Mr.  Dorris  has  continued 
to  preach  abundantly,  with  great  confidence  and  zeal ; 
for  notwithstanding  all  the  censures  which  his  brethren 
have  passed  upon  him,  and  the  warnings  which  they 
have  published  against  him,  such  are  his  talents  and  ad- 
dress, that  he  has  ever  found  means  to  attach  many  to 
his  person  and  ministry.  He  is  said  to  be  a  man  of  great 
art  and  intrigue  ;  and  it  has  also  often  been  said  of  him 
(as  it  may  in  truth  be  said  of  many  others)  that  if  he  had 
been  as  careful  and  skilful  in  avoiding  occasion  for  cen- 
sures and  reproaches,  as  he  has  been  in  entrenching  and 
defending  himself  when  they  were  brought  against  him, 
that  he  would  doubtless  have  enjoyed,  through  life, 
much  more  reputation,  innocence,  and  ease. 

CUMBERLAND   ASSOCIATION. 

THE  singular  origin  of  this  body  has  already  been  re- 
lated. It  contained  fifteen  churches  at  its  beginning ;  and 
in  1 806,  three  years  after,  so  great  was  its  prosperity 
that  it  had  increased  to  thirty-nine  churches  which  con- 
tained about  190O  members.  Its  bounds  had  now  be- 
come so  extensive,  that  a  division  was  thought  necessary; 
and  the  mountainous  tract  of  land  called  the  Red  River 
Ridge,  which  lies  between  the  Red  and  Cumberland 
Rivers,  was  agreed  upon  for  a  general  line  of  division. 
The  churches  south  and  south-east  of  this  ridge  retained 
the  name  and  constitution  of  the  Cumberland  Associa- 
tion, while  those  on  the  other  side  of  it  formed  them- 
selves into  anew  one,  by  the  name  of  Red  River.  The 
Cumberland,  from  this  division,  travelled  on  with  a  pros- 
perous course  until  1  8O9,  when  its  boundaries  had  be- 
come so  extensive,  that  it  was  thought  expedient  that  it 
should  divide  again.  Another  division  was  accordingly 
amicably  effected,  and  the  line  was  as  follows.  To  begin 
on  the  Red  River,  and  at  the  place  where  the  road  from 
Lexington,  Kentucky,  to  Nashville,  crosses  it,  and  to 


224  Red  River  and  Concord  Association. 

follow  this  road  southwardly  by  Haysborough  to  Nash* 
ville,  thence  to  the  Harpeth  Licks,  and  thence  to  the 
Tennessee  River.  -  This  line  runs  about  north  and  south, 
and  all  the  churches  west  of  it  retained  the  name  and 
constitution  of  the  Cumberland  Association,  while  those 
east  of  it  were  formed  into  a  new  one,  by  the  name 
of  Concord.  By  this  division  the  mother  Association 
was  reduced  to  ten  churches  ;  but  it  has  since  greatly 
increased.  In  1811  and  1812  there  was  a  very  extensive 
revival  in  the  bounds  of  this  Association.  At  its  annual 
session  in  1812,  it  appeared  that  in  twelve  months  past 
1O81  members  had  been  added  to  its  churches.  This 
Association,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  line  of  division  above 
mentioned,  lies  wholly  to  the  west  of  Nashville.  A  num- 
ber of  its  churches  are  not  far  from  that  town  in  the  coun- 
ty of  Davidson,  the  oldest  county  in  West-Tennessee  j 
and  of  the  rest  some  are  in  the  counties  of  Dickson, 
Montgomery,  and  Humphries. 

RED  RIVER  ASSOCIATION. 

THE  manner  in  which  this  body  originated  has  alrea- 
dy been  related.  It  contains  some  of  the  oldest  church- 
es in  the  country.  The  river  which  gave  name  to  it  has 
its  rise  in  the  State  of  Kentucky,  but  its  course,  which 
is  generally  south-west,  is  mostly  in  Tennessee  ;  it  emp- 
ties into  the  Cumberland  River  at  Clarksville,  about 
twenty-five  miles  below  Nalhville. 

A  good  degree  of  prosperity  has  attended  this  Associa* 
tion  from  its  beginning,  and  it  has  now  become  large. 
It  lies  on  the  line  between  Tennessee  and  Kentucky,  and 
a  part  of  its  churches  are  in  the  latter  State. 

CONCORD  ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  body  was  organized  in  1 810,  of  churches  dismis- 
sed from  the  Cumberland  Association.  Between  eight 
and  nine  hundred  members  were  added  to  it  in  1812. 
The  churches  in  it  lie  on  both  sides  of  the  Cumberland 
River,  and  extend  eastward  from  Naihville  about  fifty 
miles,  near  to  the  western  side  of  the  Cumberland  Moun- 
tains. I  have  not  ascertained  the  names  of  all  the  coun- 


Elk  River  Association*  225 

ties  in  which  they  are  situated.  A  number  of  them, 
ho\vever,  are  in  those  of  Divic^on,  Sumner,  Wilson,  and 
Rutherford. 

ELK.    RIVER  ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  is  a  new  Association,  which  was  formed  in  1 8O8, 
in  a  remote  and  newly  settled  region,  on  the  south  side 
of  the  State  of  Tennessee,  and  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  Tennessee  river,  about  opposite  the  Muscle  Shoals. 
This  extensive  tract  of  land,  known  at  present  by  the 
name  of  the  Elk  and  Duck  River  country,  much  of 
which  is  said  to  be  very  fertile,  was  included  in  that  ex- 
tensive purchase  which  the  United  States'  government 
made  a  few  years  ago  of  the  Chickasaw  and  Cherokee 
Indians.  As  soon  as  the  Indian  claim  was  extinguished, 
and  the  white  people  were  permitted  to  make  purchases 
in  the  country,  they  pressed  into  it  with  great  eagerness 
from  many  different  parts.  Most  of  the  earliest  settlers, 
however,  are  said  to  have  emigrated  from  the  back  parts 
of  the  State  of  Qeorgia  ;  and  amongst  them  were  many 
of  the  Baptist  order.  By  them  a  number  of  churches 
were  soon  gathered.  The  Association  at  its  commence- 
ment contained  seven  churches  ;  the  next  year  after  it 
was  constituted,  it  received  five  new  churches,  and  the 
year  following  ten  ;  it  contains  twenty-four  churches,  and 
upwards  of  two  thousand  members.  Upwards  of  a  thou- 
sand of  them  were  added  in  1812. 

The  Union  church  on  War  Trace  in  Bedford  county, 
formerly  belonged  to  the  Cumberland  Association.  One 
or  more  of  the  churches  in  this  body  are  in  the  Missisippi 
Territory.  The  others  are  principally  in  the  counties  of 
Franklin,  Madison,  Bedford,  Warren,  and  White. 

The  Associations  in  West  Tennessee  have  devised  and 
adopted  the  following  "  Abstract  of  Principles,"  by 
which  the  reader  will  discover  the  doctrinal  sentiments 
which  prevail  amongst  them. 

1st.  We  believe  in  one  only  true  and  living  God,  the 
Father,  the  Word,  and  the  Holy  Ghost. — 2d.  We  be- 
lieve that  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament 
are  the  word  of  God,  and  the  only  rule  of  faith  and 
practice. — 3d.  We  believe  in  the  doctrine  of  election, 

VOL.   2.  29 


220  Copious  Revivals  of  Religion. 

and  that  God  chose  his  people  in  Christ  before  the  foun- 
dation of  the  world. — 4th.  We  believe  in  the  doctrine  of 
original  sin. — 5th.  We  believe  in  man's  impotency  to 
recover  himself  from  the  fallen  state  he  is  in  by  nature, 
by  his  own  free  will  and  ability. — 6th.  We  believe  that 
sinners  are  justified  in  the  sight  of  God,  only  by  the  im- 
puted righteousness  of  Christ. — 7th.  We  believe  that 
God's  elect  shall  be  called,  converted,  regenerated,  and 
sanctified  by  the  Holy  Spirit. — 8th.  We  believe  the 
saints  shall  persevere  in  grace,  and  never  fall  finally  away. 
—9th.  We  believe  that  baptism  and  the  Lord's  supper 
are  ordinances  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  that  true  believers 
are  the  subjects  ;  and  we  believe  that  the  true  mode  of 
baptism  is  by  immersion. —  10th.  We  believe  in  the  res- 
urrection of  the  dead,  and  general  judgment. — 1  1th. 
We  believe  the  punishment  of  the  wicked  and  the  joys 
of  the  righteous  will  be  eternal. — 12th.  We  believe 
that  no  ministers  have  a  right  to  the  administration  of 
the  ordinances,  only  such  as  are  regularly  baptized,  call- 
ed, and  come  under  the  imposition  of  hands  by  the 
presbytery,  &c. 

Most  of  these  accounts  of  Tennessee  were  made  out 
in  1811.  Since  that  time  great  additions  have  been 
made  to  the  churches  in  this  State,  particularly  in  West 
Tennessee.  Our  brethren  in  these  parts  have  been  fa- 
voured with  a  number  of  great  and  precious  revivals. 
While  the  great  work  was  going  on  in  Kentucky,  in  180O 
and  onward,  this  country  was  visited  with  a  part  of  the 
copious  shower  of  grace.  We  have  seen  that  great  num- 
bers were  added  to  the  churches  here  in  1812.  In  this 
year,  Mr.  Whitsett,  near  Nashville,  baptized  about  350, 
and  among  the  number  were  five  students  of  Cumber- 
land college,  in  that  town. 


Indians  harass  tbcfrst  Settlers  in  Kentucky.        227 


CHAP.  XV. 

KENTUCKY. 

THIS  State  lies  west  of  Virginia,  which  it  joins,  and  to 
which  it  formerly  belonged.  It  was  admitted  into  the 
Union  as  an  independent  State  in  1 792.  Kentucky  was 
well  known  to  the  Indian  traders  long  before  its  settle- 
ment. James  Macbride,  with  some  others,  explored  it 
as  early  as  1754.  Col.  Daniel  Boon  visited  it  in  1769; 
and  four  years  after,  he  and  His  family,  with  five  other 
families,  who  were  joined  by  forty  men  from  Pow- 
el's  Valley,  began  the  settlement  of  this  fertile  region. 
I  do  not  learn  that  any  of  these  first  settlers  were 
Baptists  ;  but  they  soon  after  began  to  flock  to  this  west- 
ern wilderness. 

The  first  settlers  of  Kentucky,  and  indeed  of  all  the 
western  States,  were  for  a  long  time  much  harassed  by 
the  aboriginal  proprietors  of  the  soil,  and  against  the 
united  opposition  of  all  the  western  Indians  their  settle- 
ments were  made.  The  Indians  were  always  jealous  of 
the  encroachments  of  the  white  people  on  the  territories 
which  the  God  of  nature  had  given  them  ;  and  in  this 
case  their  resentment  was  the  more  enraged,  because 
these  settlements  were  made  in  violation  of  the  treaty 
of  Fort  Stariwix,  in  1768,  which  expressly  stipulated 
that  this  tract  of  country  should  be  reserved  for  the  west- 
ern nations  to  hunt  upon,  &c.  With  these  provocations 
to  revenge,  the  red  men  of  the  wilderness  were  most 
troublesome  neighbours  to  the  first  adventurers  into  the 
western  country.  Many  lost  their  lives  either  on  their 
way  hither,  or  after  they  had  settled.  Excited  by  a  thirst 
for  blood  and  the  hope  of  plunder,  and  encouraged  by 
the  traders  from  Detroit  and  Niagara,  these  barbarous 
people  continued  almost  without  intermission  to  harass 
the  frontier  settlers,  until  Wayne's  Treaty  in  1795. 
From  that  period  until  lately,  they  have  been  peacea- 
bly disposed,  and  very  few  depredations  have  been  com- 
mitted. 

A    number   of   Baptist    ministers   visited   Kentucky 
about   1779  ;   and  among  them  were  John  Taylor,  whe 


228  Baptist  Ministers  settle  in  Kentucky. 

is  yet  living  in  it,  and  Lewis  Lunsford,  who  died  in 
Virginia,  who  was  at  that  time  called  The  Wonderful  Boy. 
The  object  of  these  ministers,  says  Mr.  Taylor,  was  more 
to  look  than  to  preach.  They  found  a  few  of  their 
brethren  in  the  country;  but  they  were  in  an  uncom- 
fortable state  in  every  respect,  being  very  cold  as  to 
their  religious  enjoyments,  and  much  expo;<ed  to  danger 

on  everv  side.     These  ministers  had  a  few  meetings  at 
i  * 

the  stations  ;  they  found  the  country  destitute  of  almost 

every  thing  except  gra^s  for  their  horses,  and  meat  from 
the  woods,  which  was  procured  at  the  risk  of  their 
lives.  They  could  do  but  little  more  than  feast  their 
eyes  with  the  luxuriant  soil,  which  the  Indians  had  de- 
termined they  should  not  cultivate.  They,  I  believe,  all 
returned  to  Virginia  ;  but  some  of  them  afterwards  went 
out  and  settled  in  the  country. 

About  1781,  some  Baptist  preachers  and  many  Bap- 
tist members  began  to  settle  in  Kentucky.  From  that 
period  the  emigration  became  very  rapid,  so  that  by  the 
year  1780,  the  following  ministers,  viz.  Lewis  Craig, 
Joseph  Bledsoe,  George  S.  Smith,  Richard  Cave,  James 
Smith,  James  Rucker,  Robert  Elkin,  John  Taylor,  Wil- 
liam Taylor,  John  Tanner,  John  Bailey,  Joseph  Craig, 
Ambrose  Dudley,  and  probably  some  others,  had  taken 
up  their  residence  in  different  parts  of  the  Kentucky 
•woods,  some  on  the  north  and  others  on  the  south  side 
of  the  Kentucky  river. 

A  flood  of  Baptist  emigrants,  mostly  from  Virginia, 
poured  into  this  country  at  the  close  of  the  American 
war,  and  by  them  a  considerable  number  of  churches 
were  soon  established  and  as  early  as  1785,  three  Asso- 
ciations were  organized,  which  were  called  Elkhorn,  Sa- 
lem, and  the  Separate  or  South  Kentucky  Association. 

The  emigration  from  Virginia  to  this  western  region 
was  a  hazardous  business,  and  was  conducted  in  a  some- 
what singular  manner.  They  had  a  vast  tract  of  wil- 
derness to  go  through,  in  which  they  were  constantly 
exposed  to  the  assaults  of  the  Indians.  Their  safety 
consisted  in  travelling  in  as  large  companies  as  they 
could  collect.  There  were,  on  the  frontiers  of  the  old 
settlements,  a  number  of  places  of  rendezvous,  which 
were  called  stations.  Here  the  first  families  which  ar^ 


Elk  horn  Association.  229 

rived  would  tarry  until  others  came  up,  and  after  a  suf- 
ficient number  had  collected,  the  whole  would  move  off 
like  a  caravan  through  the  wilderness.  I  have  been  in- 
formed, if  I  mistake  not,  that  some  of  the  companies 
amounted  to  three  hundred  men,  women  and  children. 
In  some  instances  the  Baptist  emigrants  would  form 
themselves  into  a  church  before  they  set  out,  and  in 
that  capacity  they  settled  in  Kentucky.  While  on  the 
way,  as  one  of  their  ministers  humorously  observes, 
they  might,  like  the  children  of  Israel,  be  styled  the 
church  in  the  wilderness.  By  this  rapid  emigration, 
Kentucky  soon  abounded  with  Baptists  ;  and  they  have 
been  from  the  first,  and  I  conclude  now  are,  the  most 
numerous  denomination  in  the  State. 

In  179O,  according  to  Asplund's  Register,  there  were 
in  Kentucky  forty-two  churches,  forty  ordained  and 
twenty-one  unordained  ministers,  and  a  little  more  than 
three  thousand  members.  Since  that  time,  the  number 
has  greatly  increased,  so  that  there  are  now  over  two 
hundred  and  fifty  churches,  and  somewhere  between  fif- 
teen and  twenty  thousand  members.  The  whole  state- 
ment will  be  given,  so  far  as  it  can  be  ascertained  in  the 
general  table.  There  are  now  eleven  Associations  in 
this  State  in  professed  fellowship  with  each  other,  besides 
three  other  establishments  of  the  kind,  which  for  differ- 
ent reasons  are  not  in  fellowship  with  the  main  body  of 
their  brethren.  A  brief  account  of  these  respective  As- 
sociations, will  form  the  substance  of  the  history  of  the 
Baptists  in  Kentucky. 

ELKHORN    ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  body,  at  its  constitution,  contained  only  the 
three  churches  of  Tate's  Creek,  Clear  Creek,  and  South 
Elkhorn  ;  all  of  which  were  formed  in  1785,  the  same 
year  in  which  they  associated.  Some  churches  were 
gathered  the  same  year,  and  a  number  shortly  after, 
which  united  with  this  establishment ;  so  that  in  seven 
years  from  its  constitution,  it  had  increased  to  twenty- 
three  churches  and  1700  members.  The  bounds  of  this 
Association  were  for  a  number  of  years  very  extensive, 
as  it  comprehended  all  the  churches  north  of  the 


230     Diversified  Circumstances  tf  Elkhorn  Association. 

Kentucky  River,  and  some  of  those  which  were  south 
of  it ;  the  church  at  Columbia,  in  the  North-Western 
Territory,  now  the  State  of  Ohio,  and  a  church  in  the 
Cumberland  settlements  in  the  State  of  Tennessee.  It 
has  also  contained  from  the  first  a  number  of  very 
large  and  flourishing  churches,  which  have  sent  forth 
many  preachers,  and  many  surrounding  branches.  The 
churches  of  South  Elkhorn,  Clear  Creek,  Bryan's  Sta- 
tion, and  the  Great  Crossing,  are  among  those  which 
have  been  the  most  distinguished  for  numbers  and  pros- 
perity. During  the  great  revival,  these  four  churches 
together,  received  in  one  year  the  addition  of  1378 
members.  This  Association  has,  at  different  times, 
comprehended  a  number  of  laborious  and  successful 
ministers.  A  number  of  the  preachers  who  emigrated 
from  Virginia  were  men  of  the  above  description.  And 
in  1 7SS,  when  there  were  not  more  than  twenty  churches 
in  the  State,  and  but  twelve  in  the  Elkhorn  Association, 
Mr.  John  Gano,  a  man  famous  both  for  counsel  and  war, 
moved  from  the  city  of  New- York,  and  became  the  pas- 
tor of  the  Town  Fork  church,  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Lexington,  belonging  to  this  body.  Possessed  of  these 
advantages,  this  Association  was  much  resorted  to  in 
difficult  cases  for  counsel  and  assistance.  Under  these 
prosperous  circumstances,  it  continued  to  progress  with 
great  harmony  and  order  for  about  twenty  years,  receiv- 
ing yearly  additions  of  churches  gathered  within  its  ex- 
tensive boundaries.  In  the  happy  days  of  the  great 
revival,  many  of  the  churches  in  this  body  experienced 
refreshing  seasons  of  an  uncommon  nature,  and  shared 
largely  in  that  powerful  work,  which  prevailed  in  such  a 
rapid  and  astonishing  manner  in  different  parts  of  the 
State.  At  its  annual  meeting  in  18O1,  it  received  the 
addition  of  3011  members.  In  1802,  twelve  churches 
more  were  added,  which  made  its  whole  number  of 
members  5310.  But  these  joyful  scenes  were  of  short 
duration  :  very  gloomy  and  perilous  times  have  suc- 
ceeded ;  and  the  course  of  this  body,  from  the  close  of 
this  remarkable  enlargement  to  the  present  time,  has 
been  generally  difficult  and  unprosperous.  It  has  been 
often  and  almost  annually  diminished,  by  dismissing 
churches  to  unite  with  the  neighbouring  Associations, 


Arian  Sentiments  broached  by  influential  Characters.       23 1 

But  as  their  brethren  were  dismissed  in  harmony,  and 
still  continued  in  fellowship,  though  these  things  have 
diminished  their  number,  yet  they  did  not  constitute 
their  trials  :  these  arose  from  other  quarters  and  the 
zeal  produced  by  the  great  revival  had  hardly  abated 
before  they  began  ;  and  the  intervals  of  tranquillity  have 
been  but  short  from  that  to  the  present  time. 

About  the  year  18O2,  the  Rev.  Augustin  Easton,  a 
preacher  of  considerable  eminence,  and  the  pastor  of  a 
respectable  church  at  Cooper's  Run,  in  the  county  of 
Bourbon,  and  His  Excellency  James  Gerrard,  a  member 
of  the  same  church,  formerly  a  preacher  in  the  Elkhorn 
Association,  but  then  Governor  of  the  State  of  Kentucky, 
began  to  disclose  some  speculations  of  an  Arian  or  So- 
cinian  cast,  and  led  their  brethren  to  suspect  that  they 
were  dangerously  inclined,  if  not  fully  established  in  these 
sentiments.  For  some  time,  the  minds  of  many  were 
much  agitated  by  these  new  subjects  of  speculation  ;  and 
the  eminence  and  ability  of  the  men  by  whom  they  were 
propagated,  excited  fearful  apprehensions  of  their  exten- 
sive prevalence.  The  majority  of  the  church  at  Coop- 
er's Run,  of  which  Mr.  Easton  was  pastor,  and  to  which 
the  Governor  belonged,  had  already  espoused  their 
sentiments,  and  three  other  smaller  neighbouring  church- 
es had  done  the  same.  Anxious  to  make  every  proper 
exertion  to  reclaim  their  brethren,  and  prevent  the 
progress  of  what  they  supposed  a  growing  heresy,  the 
Association  held  an  occasional  session  in  April,  1803,  and 
appointed  the  five  following  ministering  brethren,  viz. 
David  Barrow,  John  Price,  Ambrose  Dudley,  Joseph 
Redding,  and  Carter  Tarrant,  a  committee  to  visit  these 
four  churches,  and  endeavour  to  convince  them  of  their 
error.  But  the  attempt  proving  unsuccessful,  they  were 
dropped  from  the  Association,  and  no  extensive  effects 
were  produced  by  this  new  scheme  of  doctrine. 

About  two  years  after  this  difficulty  had  subsided, 
another  was  introduced  into  the  Association  on  the  sub- 
ject of  slavery,  which  arose  to  a  very  serious  and  distress- 
ing affair.  For  several  years,  there  had  been  a  number 
of  preachers  and  members  of  churches  in  this  and  the 
neighbouring  Associations,  who  were  in  principle  and 
practice  opposed  to  the  holding  of  slaves,  in  the  man- 


232  Disputes  respecting  Slavery. 

ner  in  which  such  multitudes  are  held  by  the  Baptist* 
in  this  and  many  other  States ;  but  they  had  hitherto 
made  the  circumstance  a  matter  of  burden  and  forbear- 
ance. But  a  resolution  of  the  Association,  at  its  annual 
session  in  August,  1805,  expressing  their  disapprobation 
of  ministers,  churches,  or  Associations  meddling  with 
the  subject  of  emancipation  from  slavery,  gave  great  of- 
fence to  the  emancipators  :  a  number  immediately  left 
the  assembly ;  and  being  previously  matured  for  a  sepa- 
ration, some  slight  attempts,  which  were  afterwards 
made  for  a  reconciliation,  served  only  to  extend  the 
breach,  and  an  open  and  painful  rupture  ensued. 

The  subject  of  emancipation  was  about  the  same  time 
agitated  in  the  Bracken  and  North  District  Associations, 
where  it  produced  similar  divisions.  The  emancipa- 
tors, being  thus  separated  from  the  communion  of  their 
slave-holding  brethren  in  three  Associations,  collected 
from  different  parts,  and  in  1807  formed  an  Association 
of  their  own,  and  Messrs.  Barrow  and  Tarrant,  two  mem- 
bers of  the  committee  in  the  Arian  affair,  were  the  prin- 
cipal leaders  in  this  new  separation. 

The  difficulties  of  this  unhappy  community,  which 
seemed  destined  to  suffer  internal  trouble  and  commo- 
tion, followed  each  other  in  quick  succession.  At  the 
same  time  that  the  controversy  about  emancipation  was 
agitated,  a  dispute  had  begun  between  two  individuals, 
which,  after  going  through  a  number  of  trials  in  differ- 
ent forms,  was  introduced  into  the  Association  in  1806, 
where  it  was  improperly  and  unsuccessfully  tampered 
with  about  four  years,  when  it  divided  into  two  contend- 
ing parties  this  once  flourishing  and  harmonious  body. 
The  unpleasant  dispute  which  has  been  the  cause  of  so 
much  evil,  was  at  first  very  small  and  inconsiderable,  and 
originated  between  Elder  Jacob  Creath  and  Mr.  Thomas 
Lewis,  in  a  bargain  respecting  the  exchange  of  two  poor 
slaves.  Mr.  Creath  was  the  pastor,  and  Mr.  Lewis  one 
of  the  principal  members  of  the  Town  Fork  church,  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Lexington.  This  church  was  un- 
der the  pastoral  care  of  Mr.  Gano,  a  number  of  years 
after  his  removal  to  Kentucky.  But  this  eminent  ser- 
vant of  the  Lord,  and  skilful  arbitrator  in  religious  dis- 


A  personal  Dispute  becomes  very  extensive.        23S 

putes,  had  been  taken  from  the  evil  to  come  before  this 
painful  contest  commenced. 

As  it  may  appear  strange  that  a  personal  disagreement 
should  be  the  cause  of  such  extensive  divisions,  the  read- 
er ought  to  be  informed,  that  the  opponents  of  Mr. 
Creath  soon  lost  sight  of  the  first  subject  of  dispute,  in 
the  midst  of  a  number  of  grievous  allegations  of  various 
kinds,    which   at   every   stage   of  the    difficulty   were 
brought   against   him.     Amongst   other  things,  a  pam- 
phlet, entitled  "  A  Portrait  of  Jacob  Creath,"  containing 
fourteen  charges,  some  of  them  of  a  very  weighty  and 
a  number  of  a  frivolous  nature,  was  published  by  Elder 
Elijah  Craig,  one  of  the  oldest,  but  we  cannot  say  best, 
ministers  in  the   Association.     In  consequence  of  this 
pamphlet,    the  church  in  which   the  difficulty  begun, 
proceeded  to  call  a  committee  or  council  from  sixteen 
of  the  neighbouring  churches,  to  investigate  the  charges 
exhibited  against  their  pastor.     Forty-two  delegates  as- 
sembled, and  after  four  days'  investigation  of  the  busi- 
ness, this  numerous  convention  voted  Mr.  Creath  an 
unanimous  acquittal  of  all  the  charges,  which  Mr.  Craig 
in  his  Portrait  had  exhibited  against  him.     But  notwith- 
standing this,  an  influential  minority  of  the  Association 
still  continued  dissatisfied  with  Mr.  Creath,  and  by  this 
time  they  had  also  conceived  many  grievances  against 
their  brethren,  who  had  acted  in  the  affair.     The  con- 
troversy now  became  a  subject  of  general  concern,  and 
was  altercated  by  the  Association  when   collected,  by 
most  of  the  churches  of  which  it  was  composed  when 
at  home,  and  by  a  number  of  families  of  very  considera- 
ble influence.     The  prospect  of  an  accommodation   ap- 
peared still  farther  removed,  and  the  affair  became  more 
embarrassing  at  every  stage.     The   Association  had  im- 
prudently intermeddled  with  a  dispute,  which  it  could 
not  consistently  decide,  and  after  a  lengthy  and  painful 
attention   to  it,  its  division  appeared  inevitable.     Mr. 
Creath  had  sustained  a  number  of  trials  in    different 
forms  for  nearly  the  same  things,  in  all  of  which  he  had 
been  acquitted,  and  many   were  desirous  that  these  de- 
cisions should   terminate  the  dispute.     The  Association 
progressed  as  usual  j  but  the  minor  party  still  continued 
VOL.  2.  .'30 


'234t     The  Association  divided,  and  a  new  one  formed. 

their  discatisfaction,  and  in  1809  they  declined  attending 
its  annual  session.  Mr.  Lewis,  with  whom  the  contest 
began,  died  about  this  time,  but  this  event  had  no  ap- 
parent effect  on  the  minds  of  his  advocates.  They  were 
now  prepared  for  the  unhappy  result,  which  had  long 
beertexpected  ;  but  being  unwilling  to  appear  as  a  seced- 
ding  faction,  they  alleged  that  the  majority  had  depart- 
ed from  the  original  constitution  of  the  Association  ; 
and  at  a  meeting  of  consultation  for  the  purpose,  they 
adopted  the  singular  resolution  of  meeting  in  a  different 
place  at  the  same  time  with  them,  and  to  claim  the  name 
and  prerogatives  of  the  Elkhorn  Association.  Such  was 
the  conduct  of  a  number  of  aged  ministers,  who  had  al- 
ways before  been  highly  esteemed  for  their  wisdom  and 
prudence  ;  but  they  afterwards  concluded  to  give  up  the 
name  of  Elkhorn,  which  they  had  absurdly  assumed, 
and  call  their  new  establishment  the  Licking  Associa- 
tion. 

These  measures  were  peculiarly  distressing  to  the 
friends  of  Zion  throughout  an  extensive  circle.  The 
ministers,  who  promoted  them,  were  John  Price,  Am- 
brose Dudley,  Joseph  Redding,  Lewis  Corben,  Absalom 
Bainbridge,  and  some  others,  whose  influence  was  not 
so  great.  These  ministers  were  among  the  oldest  and 
most  respectable  in  the  State  ;  they  had  long  borne  the 
burden  and  heat  of  the  day,  and  their  names  were  every 
where  mentioned  with  respect.  Considering  their  age 
and  experience,  none  could  suppose  they  would  contend 
for  trifles,  and  yet  it  was  difficult  for  any  to  discover 
sufficient  reason  for  their  dividing  measures.  The  most 
active  among  them  was  John  Price,  a  man  of  an  unpleas- 
ant temper,  of  great  asperity  of  manners,  and  whose  zeal, 
on  all  occasions,  has  partaken  too  much  of  the  nature  of 
party  spirit.  Mr.  Creath,  against  whom  their  united  ef- 
forts were  directed,  is  in  the  meridian  of  life,  of  popular 
talents,  but  not  the  most  amiable  in  his  manners,  nor 
conciliating  in  his  address.  He  evidently  in  many  cases 
di-played  too  much  of  the  air  of  triumph  towards  his 
aggrieved  brethren.  While  I  was  in  Kentucky  in  the 
winter  of  1809 — lO,  these  disputes  were  warm,  and  en- 
gaged the  attention  of  almost  every  individual  minister 
and  member  throughout  an  extensive  circle.  This  cir- 


Bracken  Association.  235 

eumstance  made  my  visit  peculiarly  unpleasant.  I  saw 
much  to  admire  in  my  brethren  on  both  sides,  but  I 
could  not  approve  their  treatment  of  each  other.  I  was 
grieved  to  see  a  number  of  aged  ministers,  whom  1  had 
been  taught  to  respect  a  thousand  miles  off,  and  who 
now  appeared  to  be  men  of  wisdom  and  men  of  God, 
so  deeply  engaged  in  a  frivolous  dispute.  The  major 
party  appeared  more  bent  on  conquest  than  reconcilia- 
tion. On  the  whole,  I  was  led  to  think  there  must  be 
bad  leaven  somewhere,  to  produce  such  a  sour  fermen- 
tation. 

In  the  end,  the  Association  was  divided  in  a  most  pain- 
ful  manner,  and  a  number  of  churches  which  took  differ- 
ent sides  were  torn  to  pieces.  All  attempts  at  recon- 
ciliation have  proved  ineffectual,  and  nothing  but  the 
obliterating  hand  of  time  seems  capable  of  healing  the 
breach.  The  Elkhorn  Association  has  in  a  good  degree 
recovered  from  the  distressing  shock,  and  the  new  one 
appears  to  be  rising  to  a  degree  of  consistency  and  respect. 

BRACKEN    ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  body  was  organized  in  1798.  Most  of  the 
churches,  of  which  it  was  at  first  composed,  were  dis- 
missed from  the  Elkhorn  Association.  The  church  at 
Washington  was  constituted  in  17H5.  It  is  not  only 
the  largest  and  the  oldest  in  this  Association,  but  is  also 
one  of  the  oldest  in  Kentucky.  It  was  for  some  time 
under  the  care  of  Mr.  William  Wood,  who  lost  his  for- 
tune and  character  by  land  speculation.  It  was  princi- 
pally by  the  solicitation  of  Mr.  Wood,  and  by  his  en- 
couraging proposals  of  worldly  advantage,  that  Mr.  John 
Gano  was  influenced  to  leave  the  city  of  New- York,  and 
remove  to  the  wilds  of  Kentucky.  He  landed  June,  1 787, 
at  Lymestone  on  the  Ohio  River  ;  and  at  Washington, 
which  is  only  four  miles  from  it,  he  tarried  two  years 
before  he  removed  to  the  place  of  his  final  settlement. 
The  Washington  church  united  with  the  Elkhorn  Asso- 
ciation soon  after  that  body  was  formed,  in  which  con- 
nexion it  continued  till  dismissed  to  form  the  Bracken. 
This  Association  was  small  at  its  beginning,  and  has  never 
had  any  great  increase  j  and  in  18O5,  its  harmony  suffer- 


236       Northbend,  and  South  Kentucky  Associations. 

ed  a  temporary  interruption,  by  the  dispute  which  then 
prevailed  in  many  parts  of  Kentucky  respecting  the 
emancipation  of  slaves.  This  controversy  i-sued  in  the 
final  separation  of  a  number  of  ministers  and  churches 
from  the  Association,  who  united  wi:h  the  emancipating 
party.  The  churches  are  in  the  counties  of  Mason, 
Bracken,  and  Fleming,  in  the  north-east  part  of  the  btate. 

NORTHBEND    ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  Association  is  also  on  the  north  side  of  the  State, 
to  the  west  and  south-west  of  the  Bracken.  It  was  form- 
ed, in  18O2,  of  churches  which  were  mostly  dismissed  for 
the  purpose  from  the  Elkhorn  Association,  and  it  receiv- 
ed its  name  from  that  of  a  distinguished  place  in  the 
Ohio  River,  about  twenty  miles  below  the  town  of  Cin- 
cinnati. It  is  a  small  establishment,  which  has  travelled 
from  its  beginning  in  harmony  and  love.  The  churches 
are  in  the  counties  of  Campbell,  Pendleton,  and  Boone, 
along  the  Licking  and  Ohio  Rivers,  The  first  begin- 
ning of  that  powerful  and  extensive  work,  which  has 
been  generally  denominated  the  great  revival,  began 
in  1799,  in  what  are  now  the  bounds  of  this  Association, 
and  in  1810  and  1811,  a  refreshing  season  was  again 
granted  to  some  of  the  churches  in  this  connexion,  and 
to  the  one  at  Bulletsburg  1  'M  were  added  in  the  course  of 
a  few  months.  This  church  is  the  largest  and  most  dis- 
tinguished in  this  Association.  It  now  (1812)  contains 
2?O  members,  and  is  under  the  care  of  Absalom  Graves. 
The  late  William  Cave,  who  was  a  very  distinguished 
character,  was  a  member  of  this  body.  Mr.  John  Tay- 
lor, who  preached  to  this  church  a  number  of  years, 
gives  it  a  very  pleasing  character  for  skilful  discipline, 
and  also  for  harmony  and  brotherly  love.  From  it  have 
proceeded  a  number  of  other  churches,  the  names  of 
which  1  am  not  able  to  give. 

SEPARATE    OR.   SOUTH    KENTUCKY    ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  name  was  given  to  an  Association,  which  was 
formed  in  178J,  on  the  south  side  of  Kentucky  River, 
and  which  remained  on  its  first  foundation  about  sixteen 
years.  Robert  Elkin,  Joseph  Bledsoe,  and  James  Smith, 


Division  es  to  Doctrine  amongst  Virginia  Baptists.     237 

were  some  of  the  principal  instruments  of  gathering  the 
churches  of  which  it  was  composed.  The  preachers  as 
well  as  the  first  members,  emigrated  principally  from 
Virginia,  and  were  amongst  the  earliest  Baptist  adven- 
turers to  the  attracting  wilderness  of  Kentucky.  Ihe 
Baptists  in  Virginia,  at  the  time  they  began  to  send  forth 
such  populous  colonies  of  their  brethren  to  the  western 
country,  were  divided  into  Regulars  and  Separ^es,  al- 
though the  Separates  were  much  the  most  numerous. 
The  Regulars  were  professedly  and  some  of  them  very 
highly  Calvinistick  ;  but  the  Separates  were  far  from  be- 
ing unanimous  in  their  doctrinal  sentiments.  A  majority 
of  them,  however,  were  Calvinists,  and  of  the  rest  a  part 
were  much  inclined  to  the  Arminian  side  of  the  contro- 
versy ;  and  some  of  the  most  distinguished  among  them, 
in  opposing  the  high  strains  of  Calvinism,  which  were 
incessantly  and  in  many  instances  dogmatically  sound- 
ed by  their  orthodox  brethren,  had  gone  nearly  the 
full  length  of  the  doctrine  of  Arminius.  Others,  with 
different  modifications  of  the  objectionable  articles  of 
both  systems,  were  endeavouring  to  pursue  a  middle 
course.  Such  was  the  state  of  the  Virginia  Baptists,  with 
regard  to  doctrine,  at  the  period  under  consideration, 
and  some  of  all  these  different  classes  were  amongst 
the  early  emigrants  to  the  fertile  regions  of  the  west ; 
but  a  majority  of  them  were  Separates  in  their  native 
State.  But  the  same  people  who  had  travelled  together 
before  their  removal,  so  far  at  least  as  it  respected  their 
associational  connexion,  pursued  a  different  course  when 
settled  in  Kentucky.  The  Calvinistick  Separates  united 
with  the  few  Regular  Baptists  amongst  them,  and  estab- 
lished the  Elkhorn  Association,  which,  at  its  commence- 
ment, adopted  the  Philadelphia  confession  of  faith ; 
while  those,  who  inclined  to  the  Arminian  system,  as 
well  as  those  who  adopted  some  of  the  Calvinistick  creed 
in  a  qualified  sense,  united  with  the  Association  whose 
history  we  now  have  under  consideration. 

Thus  the  names  of  Regular  and  Separate  were  trans- 
ported beyond  the  mountains,  and  two  separate  interests 
were  established  in  the  neighbourhood  of  r:ch  other. 

This  Association,  like  the  rest  in  the  country, was  small 
in  its  beginning,  but  its  course  was  generally  prosperous, 


238       Attempts  to  unite  the  Regulars  and  Separates. 

and  no  special  event  occurred  until  1 789,  four  years  from 
its  commencement,  when  there  was  an  unsuccessful  at- 
tempt to  abolish  the  names  of  Regular  and  Separate,  and 
effect  an  union  and  correspondence  between  this  and  the 
Eikhorn  Association.  This  measure  was  attempted  in 
consequence  of  recommendations  of  the  United  Baptists 
in  Virginia,  whose  advice  the  Kentucky  brethren  were 
generally  inclined  to  receive,  and  whose  examples  they 
generally  imitated.  The  Regulars  and  Separates  in 
North  and  South  Carolina  had  united  before,  and  in 
17s7,  a  happy  reconciliation  was  effected  between  these 
t\vo  parries  in  Virginia,  both  of  which  had  at  that  time 
become  very  numerous.  And  having  found  that  a  re- 
conciliation was  practicable  and  pleasant,  the  United 
Baptists  in  Virginia  sent  letters  to  the  Eikhorn  and  Sep- 
arate Associations,  informing  them  of  the  successful 
steps  they  had  taken,  and  recommending  the  same  to 
them,  with  earnest  desires  that  their  endeavours  might 
prove  successful.  But  the  set  time  for  this  desirable 
event  was  not  yet  come.  The  union  was  ardently 
desired  by  many  individuals  of  both  parties,  and  the 
bodies  at  large  appeared  favourably  disposed  towards  the 
attempt ;  but  they  knew  not  by  what  means  to  accom- 
plish it,  nor  could  they  agree  on  the  terms  on  which 
they  should  unite.  The  Separates  were  afraid  of  being 
bound  and  hampered  by  Articles  and  Confessions,  and 
the  Regulars  were  unwilling  to  unite  with  them,  with- 
out something  of  the  kind.  A  general  convention  of 
delegates  met  on  the  business,  and  overtures  were  made 
on  both  sides  ;  but  both  parties  being  too  tenacious  of 
their  favourite  maxims  to  make  sufficient  abatements, 
their  endeavours  at  that  time  proved  unsuccessful. 

A  similar  attempt  was  made  in  1793,  which,  like  the 
other,  terminated  without  accomplishing  the  desirable 
object.  In  this  year,  five  churches  being  dissatisfied  with 
the  Separate  Association,  respecting  their  proceedings 
in  this  affair,  and  also  in  some  other  matters,  with- 
drew, and  formed  the  Tate's  Creek  Association. 

But  in  the  time  of  the  great  revival,  the  out-pourings 
of  the  Divine  Spirit,  and  its  softening  influence  on  the 
minds  of  the  saints,  prepared  the  way  for  that  reconcilia- 
tion and  union,  which  all  their  weighty  arguments  and 


Union  between  the  Separates  and  Regulars.         239 

assiduous  endeavours  had  not  been  able  to  accomplish. 
This  astonishing  work,  in  the  year  180O  and  following, 
prevailed  most  powerfully  amongst  the  Separates  as  well 
as  the  Regulars.  The  churches  and  members  were  now 
much  intermixed.  All  were  visited  and  refreshed  by 
the  copiou^  and  abundant  rain  of  righteousness  which 
was  poured  upon  the  land  ;  and,  regardless  of  names, 
they  unitedly  engaged  in  enjoying  and  forwarding  the 
precious  and  powerful  work.  By  this  means,  tho^e  little 
party  asperities,  which  had  unhappily  prevailed,  were 
much  mollified  and  diminished ;  their  cold  and  indiffer- 
ent charity  for  each  other  was  inflamed  ;  and  with  most 
of  them  their  notions  of  doctrine  were  found  to  be  not 
so  different  as  they  had  supposed.  An  union  was  now 
proposed  in  earnest,  and  soon  effected  with  ease.  Both 
Associations  had  become  large,  containing  together  be- 
tween seven  and  eight  thousand  members.  Committees 
were  appointed  by  both  bodies  to  confer  on  the  subject 
of  an  union,  who,  after  mature  deliberation,  agreed  to 
the  following  terms  : 

"  Terms  of  Union  between  the  Elkborn  and  South- Kentucky 
or  Separate  Associations. 

"  We  the  committees  of  the  Elkhorn  and  South  Ken- 
tucky Associations,  do  agree  to  unite  on  the  following 
plan. 

"  1st.  That  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New-Tes- 
tament are  the  infallible  word  of  .God,  and  the  only 
rule  of  faith  and  practice.  2d.  That  there  is  one  only 
true  God,  and  in  the  Godhead  or  divine  essence,  there 
are  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost.  3d.  That  by  nature 
we  are  fallen  and  depraved  creatures.  4th.  That  salva- 
tion, regeneration,  sanctification,  and  justification,  are 
by  the  life,  death,  resurrection,  and  ascension  of  Jesus 
Christ.  5th.  That  the  saints  will  finally  persevere 
through  grace  to  glory,  bth.  That  believers'  baptism 
by  immersion  is  necessary  to  receiving  the  Lord's  supper. 
7th.  That  the  salvation  of  the  righteous,  and  punish- 
nient  of  the  wicked  will  be  eternal.  8th.  That  it  is  our 
duty  to  be  tender  and  affectionate  to  each  other,  and 
study  the  happiness  of  the  children  of  God  in  general ; 
to  be  engaged  singly  to  promote  the  honour  of  God. 
9th.  And  that  the  preaching  Christ  tasted  death  for 


240  Separate  Association  dissolved. 

every  man^  shall  be  no  bar  to  communion.  10th.  And 
that  each  may  keep  up  their  associational  and  church 
government  as  to  them  may  seem  best.  1 1th.  That  a 
free  correspondence  and  communion  be  kept  up  between 
the  churches  thus  united. 

"  Unanimously  agreed  to  by  the  joint  committee. 
"  AMBROSE  DUDLEY,     DANIEL  RAMEY, 
JOHN  PRICE,  THOMAS  J.  CHILTON, 

JOSEPH  RBDDING,        MOSES  BLEDSOE, 
DAVID  BARROW,         SAMUEL  JOHNSON." 
ROBERT  ELKIN, 

Matters  being  thus  prepared,  a  general  convention, 
composed  of  delegates  from  all  the  churches  in  both  As- 
sociations, met  October,  (801,  at  Howard's  Creek  meet- 
ing-house, in  the  county  of  Clark,  when  they  unani- 
mously acceded  to  the  terms  of  union,  which  their  com- 
mittees had  prepared,  and  agreed  to  lay  aside  the  names 
of  Regular  and  Separate,  and  to  travel  together  in  future 
in  communion  and  fellowship  as  united  brethren. 

This  was  the  last  body  of  the  Separate  Baptists,  which 
relinquished  the  appellation  by  which  they  had  been  dis- 
tinguished for  almost  fifty  years. 

In  J  80'^,  the  year  after  this  union  took  place,  the  As- 
sociation having  become  very  extensive  in  its  bounda- 
ries, found  it  convenient  to  make  a  division  ;  and  as  near- 
ly an  equal  number  of  the  churches  were  situated  on 
both  sides  of  the  Kentucky  River,  this  river  was  fixed 
upon  as  the  dividing  line,  and  the  two  divisions  were 
called  the  North  and  South  District  Associations.  These 
names  were  assumed  merely  for  the  purpose  of  distinc- 
tion, as  there  were  no  geographical  or  civil  departments 
of  the  country  to  which  they  referred. 

The  North  District  Association  has  moved  on  in  fel- 
lowship with  the  neighbouring  Associations,  and  has 
also  enjoyed  internal  harmony  from  its  commencement 
to  the  present  time,  except  that  it  sustained  a  tempo- 
rary interruption,  when  David  Barrow  and  some  other 
brethren,  openly  espoused  the  side  of  the  Emancipators. 
The  Association  is  now  one  of  the  largest  in  Kentucky. 

But  the  South  District  Association  has  experienced 
great  trials  and  changes ;  and  was  most  miserably  torn 
asunder  by  religious  discords,  shortly  after  it  was  organ- 


Difficulties  in  the  South  District  Association.         241 

ized.      It  soon  appeared  that  in  the  southern  depart- 
ment of  the  old  Separate  community,  there  were  a  num- 
ber who  had  gone  far  into  doctrinal  errors.     Some  were 
decided  Arminians,  and  others  had  adopted  Winches- 
ter's chimerical  notion  of  universal  restoration.     But 
they  had  all  acceded  to  the  terms  of  union,  &c.  lately  men- 
tioned.    But  it  soon  appeared  that  they  did  it  with  much 
mental  reservation.  When  these  things  came  to  be  known 
in  the  Association,  they  produced  much  confusion  and 
distress.     Mr.  John  Bayley  was  one  who  had  propagated 
the  doctrine  of  universal  restoration.     It  was  plead  that 
"  though  he  had  preached  this  doctrine,  yet  he  had  done 
it  in  such  a  manner  as  not  to  give  offence  to  the  most 
delicate  ear."     The  Association  soon  became  divided 
into  two  contending  parties,  and  what  was  still  worse, 
the  greater  part  appeared  on  the  side  of  error.     At  its 
session  in  1 803,  some  ministers  publickly  declared  them- 
selves no  more  of  the  Association,  and  withdrew.     This 
is  the  mode  of  dissolving  fellowship  in  Kentucky.    Oth- 
ers followed  their  example  ;  but  after  all,  the  erroneous 
party  retained  about  two  thirds  of  the  Association.     The 
minor  seceding  party  formed  themselves  into  an  Associ- 
ation by  the  name  of  South  District,  or  rather  they  claim- 
ed the  right  of  being  considered  the  original  body, and  the 
neighbouring  Associations  admitted  them  to  correspon- 
dence as  such.     This  Association  is  not  large,  but  it  com- 
prises a  number  of  very  respectable  churches,  which  are 
situated  mostly  in  the  counties  of  Mercer  and  Lincoln  : 
some  are  scattered  in  Gerrard,  Washington,  and  Nelson. 
Gabriel  Slaughter,   Esq.    late  Lieutenant-Governor  of 
Kentucky,  belongs  to  one  of  the  churches  in  this  con- 
nexion. 

The  other  party  also  claimed  the  name  and  preroga- 
tives of  the  South  District  Association,  and  if  the  major- 
ity ought  to  govern,  this  claim  was  well  founded  :  but 
the  other  Associations  have  never  admitted  them  to  fel- 
lowship. This  body  is  situated  in  a  part  of  Kentucky 
which  I  did  not  visit.  I  have  taken  much  pains  to  learn 
its  history,  and  have  written  many  letters  for  the  pur- 
pose, but  nothing  has  been  communicated.  The  last  ac- 
count I  had  of  it  was  in  1804,  when,  according  to  their 

VOL.  2.  31 


242  Tale's  Creek,  and  Salem  Associations. 

minutes,  they  had  twenty-two  churches,  about  thirty 
ministers,  and  upwards  of  eight  hundred  members.  I 
conclude  that  many  of  these  churches  and  members,  like 
the  followers  of  Elias  Smith,  would  have  done  much 
better,  with  better  leaders,  or  with  less  leading.  It  is 
highly  probable,  that  the  number  of  this  body  has  great- 
ly declined  since  1804,  and  I  know  not  but  it  has  by  this 
time  become  extinct. 


IT  has  already  been  observed  that  this  Association  orig- 
inated in  1793,  when  five  churches  withdrew  from  the 
old  Separate  party,  and  embodied  by  themselves.  They 
united  without  any  definite  Articles  of  Faith,  but  in 
general  assented  to  those  of  the  Elkhorn  Association. 
This  Association  received  its  name  from  that  of  a  small 
water-course,  which  empties  into  Kentucky  River  from 
the  south.  The  most  remarkable  circumstance  in  the 
history  of  this  body  is,  that  in  the  year  1801,  it  received 
by  baptism  1148  members. 

SALEM    ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  Association  was  formed  of  four  churches  in  1785. 
The  first  settlers  in  this  region  were  from  Virginia  ;  but 
they  were  soon  joined  by  a  considerable  company  from 
the  Redstone  country,  in  the  back  part  of  Pennsylvania. 
Among  this  company  was  that  worthy  minister  Wil- 
liam Taylor,  whose  praise  is  in  all  the  churches  in  this 
quarter.  This  part  of  Kentucky  settled  slowly  for  a 
number  of  years.  The  first  settlers  were  often  molested 
by  the  Indians,  and  Elder  John  Gerrard  and  a  num- 
ber of  his  brethren  fell  victims  to  their  rage.  The  Sa- 
lem Association  was  formed  on  Cox's  Creek,  a  small 
distance  below  the  Salt  River,  about  fifty  miles  south  of 
Frankfort,  and  not  far  from  the  place  where  Bairdstown 
now  stands.  Its  ministers  at  first  were  William  Taylor, 
Joseph  Barnet,  and  John  Whitaker  ;  the  names  of  the 
first  four  churches  were  Severn  Valley,  Cedar  Creek, 
Cox's  Creek,  and  Bear  Grass.  They  did  not  all  contain 
but  about  a  hundred  and  thirty  members.  And  so  slow 


Long  Run  Association.  243 

was  its  progress,  that  fourteen  years  after,  its  number  was 
a  little  less  than  five  hundred.  But  the  great  revival, 
which  began  here  about  1 806, prevailed  in  a  most  aston- 
ishing manner.  This  Association  in  the  course  of  three 
years  received  the  addition  of  upwards  of  two  thousand 
members,  and  became  so  large  that  it  was  necessary  to 
divide  it. 

This  Association,  at  its  beginning,  adopted  the  Phila- 
delphia Confession  of  Faith,  and  for  a  few  years  corres- 
ponded by  letter  with  that  body,  as  it  did  also  with  the 
Charleston  Association  in  South- Carolina,  and  the  Ke- 
tocton  in  Virginia.  The  churches  of  which  it  was  compos- 
ed were  for  a  number  of  years  principally  in  the  county 
of  Nelson  ;  but  by  the  subdivisions  of  that  county,  and 
the  enlargement  of  the  Association,  they  are  now  in  the 
counties  of  Hardin,  Brackenridge,  Washington,  Bullet, 
and  Ohio. 

William  Taylor  was  a  very  diligent  and  successful  la- 
bourer in  this  part  of  the  vineyard,  and  was  esteemed 
a  father  in  this  Association  from  its  beginning  till  his 
death,  in  1807.  He  was  born  in  New- Jersey  in  1744. 
"While  he  was  young  his  parents  moved  to  Virginia,  and 
settled  near  Winchester,  where  he  was  brought  up. 
Having  arrived  at  manhood,  he  went  back  to  his  native 
State,  where  he  tarried  a  short  time,  married,  and  then 
returned  to  Virginia,  and  began  to  preach  in  the  early 
part  of  his  life.  From  Virginia,  he  went  to  the  Red- 
stone country,  where  he  continued  eight  years,  and  then 
went  down  the  Ohio  River,  and  settled  in  Kentucky  in 
1784.  Mr.  Taylor  was  one  of  those  ministers  whose 
private  life  gave  the  most  conclusive  evidence  of  the 
sincerity  of  his  publick  ministrations  ;  his  gifts  were  not 
considered  great,  but  they  were  employed  with  unwea- 
ried diligence,  and  to  great  advantage. 

LONG    RUN    ASSOCIATION. 

THE  remarkable  increase  of  the  Salem  Association  has 
been  mentioned.  In  the  progress  of  that  great  work  by 
which  it  was  so  much  enlarged,  a  number  of  churches 
were  gathered  north  of  the  Salt  River  ;  and  when  its 
division  was  proposed,  that  river  was  fixed  upon  as  the 


244  Green  River  Association. 

dividing  line.  All  the  churches  north  of  it  were  dismissed 
to  form  a  new  Association,  which  was  organized  in  1803, 
and  was  called  Long  Run,  from  a  small  water-course 
near  to  which  its  first  session  was  held.  This  Associa- 
tion has  experienced  some  refreshing  seasons  since  it 
was  formed,  particularly  in  1809  and  1810.  It  is  now 
a  large  and  very  respectable  body,  and  is  situated  mostly 
between  the  Salt  and  Kentucky  Rivers,  and  extends 
westward  as  far  as  the  Ohio  River  ;  and  a  few  of  its 
churches  are  over  in  the  Indiana  Territory. 

GREEN    RIVER    ASSOCIATION. 

THE  terms  Green  River  Settlements,  and  Green  River 
Country,  are  generally  applied  by  the  people  in  Kentucky 
to  all  that  part  of  the  State  which  lies  south  of  the  Green 
River.  The  settlements  here  were  begun  about  1793, 
when  the  whole  territory  was  comprehended  in  the 
county  of  Logan  ;  but  as  early  as  1 80'J,  it  was  divided 
into  fourteen  counties.  What  divisions  have  taken  place 
since,  I  have  no';  learnt. 

The  Association,  whose  history  we  are  about  to  relate, 
was  formed  in  18OO,  and  contained  at  first  nine  churches, 
eight  ministers,  and  about  350  members.  This  was 
about  the  beginning  of  the  great  revival,  which  had 
already  extended  to  this  region;  end  so  rapidly  did  it 
prevail  here,  that  this  body  at  its  next  session  contained 
upwards  of  a  thousand  members,  and  in  1804  it  had  in- 
creased to  thirty-eight  churches,  which  embraced  1876 
communicants. 

This  Association  had  now  become  so  extensive  in  its 
boundaries,  that  it  was  thought  proper  to  divide  it ;  but 
it  being  scattered  over  such  a  wide  extent  of  country, 
they  found  it  the  most  convenient  to  divide  it  into  three, 
and  accordingly  the  Russell's  Creek  and  Stockton's  Val- 
ley were  formed  from  it.  By  this  measure  the  original 
body  was  much  reduced,  and  the  two  which  were  form- 
ed from  it  were  smaller  still. 

The  churches  in  the  Russell's  Creek  Association  are 
mostly  in  the  counties  of  Green  and  Adair  ;  those  of 
the  Stockton's  Valley  are  mostly  in  Tennessee  ;  those  in 
Kentucky  are  in  the  counties  of  Cumberland  and  Barren, 
Both  of  these  Associations  remain  small. 


Emancipating  Society.  245 

The  Green  River  has  again  become  large  ;  partly  by 
revivals,and  partly  by  the  following  circumstance.  There 
was  an  Association  formed  in  the  south-west  part  of  this 
State,  in  180G,  which  was  called  the  Union.  But  its 
name  was  not  altogether  descriptive  of  its  character  ;  for 
not  long  since,  it  was  divided  and  dissolved,  and  most 
of  the  churches  united  with  the  Association  whose  his- 
tory we  have  under  consideration. 

Carter  Tarrant,  who  has  since  been  considerably  fa- 
mous amongst  the  Emancipators  in  the  northern  coun- 
ties in  Kentucky,  was  one  of  the  most  active  and  suc- 
cessful ministers  in  raising  up  the  churches  in  this  body, 
and  organizing  them  into  an  Associrr  ion.  Robert  Stock- 
ton, a  native  of  Culpepper  county.  Virginia,  \vho  was 
highly  esteemed  in  his  native  Stare,  from  which  he  re- 
moved to  Kentucky  about  1800,  has,  from  the  begin- 
ning of  this  Association,  been  its  Moderator,  and  is  es- 
teemed a  father  among  the  churches.  The  late  John 
Hall,  Esq.  one  of  the  Judges  for  Barren  county,  who  fin- 
ished his  earthly  course  in  a  most  joyful  manner  in  18(;9, 
was  a  member  of  this  Association  ;  and  his  son,  Michael 
W.Hall,  who  succeeds  his  father  on  the  bench,  now  serves 
it  as  Clerk. 

EMANCIPATING  SOCIETY. 

THIS  society  is  composed  of  ministers  and  churches, 
who  have  separated  from  their  former  connexion  on  ac- 
count of  slavery,  and  who  differ  in  nothing  except  this 
article  from  the  main  body  of  the  Calvinisiivk  Baptists. 
They  denominate  themselves  "  Friends  to  Humanity ;" 
but  they  are  generally  known  by  the  name  of  "  Emanci- 
pators" which  name  they  are  by  no  means  unwilling  to 
receive.  The  people,  who  composed  this  body,  belong- 
ed formerly  to  the  Elkhorn,  the  Noith  District,  and 
Bracken  Associations,  from  which  they  separated  in  the 
year  1 805  ;  some  of  their  own  choice,  and  others  by  the 
expulsory  measures  of  the  respective  churches  and  Asso- 
ciations to  which  they  belonged. 

The  people  whose  history  we  now  have  in  view,  have 
taken  a  decided  stand  against  slavery,  in  every  branch  of 
it,  both  in  principle  and  practice,  as  being  a  sinful  and 
abominable  system,  fraught  with  peculiar  evils  and  mis- 


Observations  on  tie  Subject  of  Slavery, 

cries,  which  every  good  man  ought  to  abandon  and  bear 
his  testimony  against.  These  are,  in  substance,  their 
sentiments  respecting  slavery  ;  and  their  desires  and  en- 
deavours are,  to  effect,  as  soon  as  it  can  be  done,  and  in 
the  most  prudent  and  advantageous  manner  both  to 
the  slaves  and  their  owners,  the  general  and  complete 
emancipation  of  this  numerous  race  of  enslaved,  igno- 
rant, and  degraded  beings,  who  are  now,  by  the  laws 
and  customs  of  the  land,  exposed  to  hereditary  and  per- 
petual bondage.  And  with  sentiments  so  noble  and  hu- 
mane, one  would  think  they  must  certainly  meet  the 
approbation  of  every  benevolent  man.  But  truth  may 
be  unskilfully  defended,  and  the  noblest  sentiments  may 
become  suspicious,  by  the  unseasonable  and  intemperate 
zeal  with  which  they  are  propagated. 

To  declaim  against  slavery  and  slave-holders,  in  the 
hearing  of  a  multitude  of  ignorant  negroes,  who  will 
pervert  the  most  proper  reasonings  to  improper  purpo- 
ses, is  certainly  an  imprudent  conduct.  Of  this,  the 
Emancipators  were  continually  accused,  and  not  without 
some  grounds  ;  and  the  perversion  of  their  discourses 
by  the  negroes  was  laid  to  their  charge  as  a  peculiar  evil. 
It  is  altogether  probable  that  in  this  thing  the  Emanci- 
pators were  much  to  blame.  Some  of  them,  however, 
ought  to  be  excused  from  these  charges.  They  have 
not  dwelt  upon  slavery  in  their  publick  discourses,  but 
their  principal  object  has  been  to  devise  plans  in  a  pru- 
dent way  for  the  execution  of  their  noble  purposes. 
The  advocates  for  slavery  oppose  the  Emancipators  with 
such  arguments  as  these  : — What  can  a  few  individuals 
do  in  this  business  ?  Government  has  sanctioned  the 
holding  of  slaves  ;  and  unless  they  interpose  their  influ- 
ence, nothing  effectual  can  be  done  towards  setting  them 
free.  This  may  be  true  ;  but  "  what  measure  of  great 
publick  utility  was  ever  executed  by  church  or  State, 
which  was  not  first  proposed  by  individuals  ?  which  was 
not  first  resisted  by  the  great  body,  and  perhaps  defeat- 
ed for  a  time  ? 

According  to  Tarrant's  History  of  the  Emancipators, 
Elders  Dodge  and  Carmen  with  their  congregations, 
were  the  first  who  separated  from  the  Baptists  in  Ken- 
tucky, on  account  of  slavery.  These  men  were  settled 


Queries  and  Answers  on  the  same  Subject.         247 

in  Nelson  county.  The  next  minister  who  made  much 
noise  in  Kentucky  on  this  subject,  was  Elder  John  but- 
ton, a  native  of  New- Jersey.  In  the  course  of  a  few 
years,  Donold  Holmes,  David  Barrow,  Carter  Tarrant, 
Jacob  Grigg,  George  Smith,  and  a  number  of  other  min- 
isters, some  Europeans  and  some  native  Americans, 
moved  into  the  State,  and  propagated  the  doctrine  of  the 
emancipation  of  slaves.  Most,  if  not  all  these  ministers, 
officiated  as  pastor*;  of  churches  where  slavery  was  tolera- 
ted ;  and  the  Emancipators  generally,  who  were  scattered 
throughout  the  State,  travelled  in  fellowship  and  com- 
munion with  their  brethren  who  held  slaves,  until  the 
year  1 805.  The  occasion  of  their  separating  from  them 
and  uniting  in  a  body  by  themselves,  has  been  related 
in  the  history  of  the  Elkhorn  Association.  The  first 
meeting  of  the  Emancipators  as  a  body,  was  in  August, 
18O7,  when  they  convened  in  conference,  to  deliberate 
on  the  mode  of  their  future  proceedings.  At  this  meet- 
ing, eleven  ministers  and  nineteen  private  brethren  en- 
tered their  names  as  advocates  for  emancipating  princi- 
ples. Eleven  queries  were  presented  to  this  Conference, 
and  most  of  their  time  appears  to  have  been  taken  up 
in  discussing  and  resolving  them.  One  query  was,  Can 
any  person  be  admitted  a  member  of  this  meeting,  whose 
practice  appears  friendly  to  perpetual  slavery  ?  Answer. 
We  think  not.  Another  was,  Is  there  any  case  in  which 
persons  holding  slaves  may  be  admitted  to  membership 
into  a  church  of  Christ  ?  Answer.  No  ;  except  in  the 
following,  viz. — 1st.  In  the  case  of  a  person  holding 
young  slaves,  and  recording  a  deed  of  their  emancipation 
at  such  an  age  as  the  church  to  which  they  offer  may 
agree  to.  42d.  In  the  case  of  persons  who  have  purchas- 
ed in  their  ignorance,  and  are  willing  that  the  church 
shall  say  when  the  slaves  or  slave  shall  be  free.  3d.  In 
the  case  of  women,  whose  husbands  are  opposed  to  eman- 
cipation. 4th.  In  the  case  of  a  widow,  who  has  it  not  in 
her  power  to  liberate  them.  5th.  In  the  case  of  idiots, 
old  age,  or  any  debility  of  body  that  prevents  such  slave 
from  procuring  a  sufficient  support  ;  and  some  other 
cases,  which  we  would  wish  the  churches  to  be  at  liberty 
to  judge  of,  agreeably  to  the  principles  of  humanity. 
The  5th  query  was,  Shall  members  in  union  with  us  be 


248  Associations,  &c.  complained  of. 

at  liberty  in  any  case  to  purchase  slaves  ?  Answer.  Noj 
except  it  be  with  a  view  to  ransom  them  from  perpetu- 
al slavery,  in  such  a  way  as  the  church  may  approve  of. 
The  last  query  which  we  shall  notice,  was,  Have  our 
ideas  of  slavery  occasioned  any  alteration  in  our  views 
of  the  doctrine  of  the  gospel  ?  Answer.  No. 

The  September  following,  these  people  met,  and  re- 
duced their  fraternity  into  an  organized  body,  under  the 
name  of  "  The  Baptized  Licking-Locust  Association,  Friends 
to  Humanity"  The  Association  received  its  name  from 
that  of  a  church  called  Licking^Locust,  which  is  in  the 
north  part  of  the  State,  near  the  Ohio  River,  and  is  con- 
sidered a  mother  establishment  to  the  emancipating  in- 
terest in  Kentucky. 

At  the  next  meeting  of  the  Emancipators,  they  resolv- 
ed, "That  the  present  mode  of  Associations  or  confeder- 
ation of  churches  was  unscriptural,  and  ought  to  be  laid 
aside."  They  then  proceeded  to  form  themselves  into 
an  Abolition  Society.  This  was  innovation  without  im- 
provement. It  would  be  as  difficult  to  find  Abolition 
Societies  in  the  Scriptures,  as  Associations.  The  reasons 
for  this  change  are  not  stated  in  the  Minutes  ;  it  is  prob- 
able, however,  that  they  had  become  disgusted  with 
Associations,  on  account  of  the  rough  manner  in  which 
many  had  been  handled  by  them. 

About  this  time  David  Barrow  published  a  pamphlet 
with  this  title-page,  "  Involuntary ;  Unmerited,  Perpetual, 
Absolute,  Hereditary  Slavery,  examined,  on  the  principles  of 
Nature,  Reason,  Justice,  Policy,  and  Scripture."  This 
piece  is  written  in  a  grave  and  manly  style,  and  with 
those  nice  discriminations,  those  candid  and  weighty 
reasons,  which  certainly  deserve  the  attention  of  all  who 
are  concerned  in  slavery,  and  is  worth  the  perusal  of 
those  who  are  desirous  of  making  inquiries  on  the  sub- 
ject. Mr.  Barrow  is  doubtless  the  most  distinguished 
minister  amongst  the  Emancipators.  The  pamphlet 
above  mentioned  shews  him  to  be  a  man  by  no  means 
deficient  in  abilities,  either  natural  or  acquired.  He  is  a 
native  of  Virginia,  where  he  commenced  his  ministry  in 
1771  ;  in  the  early  part  of  which  he  suffered  much  by 
tlie  insolence  and  persecuting  rage  of  his  rude  country- 


Imprudent  Conduct  -of  an  Associat'wn.  249 

men.*    He  also  early  imbibed  his  emancipating  principles, 
and  in  consequence  of  which  freed  a  considerable  number 
of  slaves.     Having  long  been  distinguished  in  his  native 
State  for  piety  and  abilities,  he  removed  to  Kentucky  in 
1 798,  and  settled  in  Montgomery  county.  In  Virginia  and 
Kentucky,  until  the  stir  about  emancipation,  Mr.  Barrow 
travelled  in  fellowship  with  his  brethren,  who  were  the 
holders  of  slaves.     When  this  dispute  came  on,  they  ap- 
pear to  have  fixed  on  him  as  the  object  of  their  peculiar 
resentment,  and  carried  their  opposition  to  him  to  such 
an  extreme,  that  the  North-District  Association  to  which 
he  belonged,  and  which  professes  to  be  nothing  more  than 
"  An  Advisory  Council,"  put  forth  its  horns,  and  publickly 
expelled  their  brother  from  his  seat  "  for   preaching 
emancipation,  and  sent  a  committee  to  take  him  under 
dealings  in  the  church  at  Mount  Sterling,  of  which  he  was 
a  member."     How  ardent  and  blind  must  have  been  that 
zeal,  which  hurried  a  large  and  respectable  body  into 
such  overbearing  and  inconsistent  measures !  The  reader 
will  discover  from  this  circumstance  the  spirit  with  which 
the  emancipating  dispute  was  conducted.     But  for  the 
honour  of  this  Association,  we  arehappy  to  be  able  to  state, 
that  at  their  next  session  they  "  voted  to  reconsider  and 
revoke  all  the  acts,  which  they  had  passed  respecting  Mr. 
Barrow."     But  he  had  now  united  with  the  Emancipa- 
tors, and  chose  not  to  return. 

The  zeal  of  the  Emancipators  has  in  some  measure 
abated,  and  of  course  they  are  less  opposed  ;  and  it  is 
hardly  probable  that  any  lasting  effects  will  be  produced 
by  their  means.  Their  leading  maxims  are  approved  of 

*  In  1778,  Mr.  Barrow  received  an  invitation  to  preach  at  the  house  of  a 
gentleman,  who  lived  on  Nansemond  River  near  the  mouth  of  James  River, 
A  ministering  brother  accompanied  him.  They  were  informed  on  their  arriv- 
al, that  they  might  expect  rough  usage,  and  so  it  happened.  A  gang  of  well- 
dressed  men  came  up  to  the  stage,  which  had  been  erected  under  some  trees, 
as  soon  as  the  hymn  was  given  out,  and  sung  one  of  their  obscene  songs. 
They  then  undertook  to  plunge  both  of  the  preachers.  Mr.  Barrow 
they  plunged  twice,  pressed  him  into  the  mud,  held  him  long  under  the 
water,  and  came  near  drowning  him.  In  the  midst  of  their  mocking,  they  asked 
him  it  he  believed  ?  and  throughout  treated  him  with  the  most  barbarous  inso- 
lence and  outrage.  His  companion  they  plunged  but  once.  The  whole  as- 
sembly was  shocked,  the  women  shrieked,  but  no  one  durst  interfere ;  for  about 
twenty  stout  fellows  were  engaged  in  this  horrid  measure.  They  insulted  and 
abused  the  gentleman  who  invited  them  to  preach,  and  even-  one  who  spoke 
a  word  in  their  favour.  Before  these  persecuted  men  could  change  their  clothes, 
they  were  dragged  from  the  house,  and  driven  oft' by  these  outrageous  church- 
men. But  three  or  four  of  them  died  in  a  few  weeks,  in  a  distracted  manner, 
and  one  of  them  wished  himself  in  hell  before  he  had  joined  the  company-,  &a. 
VOL.  2.  32 


Remarks  relative  to  the  Baptists  in  Kentucky. 

by  many  who  have  not  united  with  them,  but  who  still 
hold  slaves  with  many  scruples  respecting  its  propriety. 
But  there  is  such  a  strong  current  against  the  emancipa- 
tion of  slaves,  and  custom,  covetousness,  indolence,  and 
ambition,  find  so  many  arguments  in  favour  of  slavery, 
that  there  seems  but  little  prospect,  that  any  material 
change  will  at  present  be  effected,  in  the  condition  of 
this  numerous  race  of  enslaved  and  degraded  beings.* 
From  the  preceding  accounts,  we  see  that  the  Baptists 
have  become  numerous  in  Kentucky.  The  Lord  has 
truly  done  great  things  for  this  State  j  revivals  have 
followed  each  other  in  quick  succession,  and  many  thou- 
sands have  hopefully  been  born  into  the  kingdom  of 
God.  The  Baptist  churches  in  Kentucky  have,  in  many 
cases,  been  built  up,  and  in  others  greatly  enlarged  by 
emigrants  from  other  parts.  They  have  also  been  great- 
ly diminished,  by  multitudes  removing  to  remoter  re- 
gions. As  religion  is  left  wholly  free  from  civil  control,, 
our  brethren  in  this  State  have  met  with  no  difficulties,  ex- 
cept what  have  arisen  from  among  themselves,  and  these, 
we  are  sorry  to  say,  have  been  considerably  numerous. 
The  churches  were  made  up  of  people  from  different 
parts ;  their  notions  of  gospel  doctrine  were  essentially 
alike,  but  in  smaller  matters  they  could  not  always 
agree.  The  Kentuckians,  whether  saints  or  sinners,  are 
rather  inclined  to  a  fretful  impatience  and  undue  resent- 

*  In  Mr.  Barrow's  piece  against  slavery,  we  find  the  following  note  :  "  To 
see  a  man  (a  Christian)  it)  the  most  serious  period  of  all  his  life — making  his 
last  will  and  testament — and  in  the  most  solemn  manner  addressing  the 
Judge  of  all  the  earth — In  the  name  of  God,  Amen — Hearken  to  him — he 
certainly  must  be  in  earnest ! — He  is  closing  all  his  concerns  here  below  ! — He 
will  very  shortly  appear  before  the  Judge,  where  kings  and  slaves  have 
equal  thrones ! — He  proceeds  : 

Item.  I  give  and  bequeath  to  my  son ,  a  negro  man  named ,  a  ne- 
gro woman  named ,  with  rive  of  her  youngest  children. 

Item.  I  give  and  bequeath  to  my  daughter ,  a  negro  man  named , 

also  a  negro  woman  named ,  with  her  three,  children. 

Item.  All  my  other  slaves,  whether  men,  women  or  children,  with  all  my 
stock  of  horses,  cattle,  sheep,  and  hogs,  I  direct  to  be  sold  to  the  highest  bid- 
der, and  the  monies  arising  therefrom  (after  paying  my  justdebts)  to  be  equally* 
divided  between  my  two  above-named  children  !  ! ! 

'The  above  specimen  is  not  exaggerated  ;  the  like  of  it  often  turns  up.  And 
what  can  u  real  lover  of  the  rights  of  man  say  in  vindication  thereof? 

Suppose  for  a  moment,  that  the  testator,  or  if  the  owner,  dies  intestate, 
(which  is  often  the  case)  was  ever  so  humane  a  person,  who  can  vouch  for 
their  heirs  and  successors  ?  This  consideration,  if  nothing  else,  ought  to  make 
all  slave-holders  take  heed  what  they  do,  "  for  they  must  give  an  accouut  of 
themselves  to  God." 


Great  Revival  in  Kentucky,  &c.  25 1 

ment  of  opposition,  in  matters  of  no  great  moment. 
From  this  spirit  have  produced  painful  disputes  about 
trifling  concerns.  Many  of  the  ministers,  who  settled 
in  this  country  from  other  parts,  had  acquired  consid- 
erable fame  before  their  removal ;  and  it  is  painful  to 
relate,  that  in  some  cases  they  have  discovered  a  censur- 
able ambition  for  applause  and  pre-eminence.  But  not- 
withstanding these  things,  there  is  in  Kentucky  a  very 
large  body  of  our  brethren,  who  travel  together  in  har- 
mony and  love,  and  who  adorn  the  doctrine  of  God  our 
Saviour. 

The  churches  do  but  little  for  their  preachers  j  very 
few  receive  to  the  amount  of  a  hundred  dollars  a  year 
for  their  ministerial  services  ;  but  few  of  them  however 
are  very  poor.  They  have  from  necessity  found  the 
means  of  supporting  themselves.  Many  of  those  who 
settled  early  in  the  country  have  become  wealthy. 

Some  Account  of  the  great  Revival  in  Kentucky  and  other 

Parts. 

As  this  peculiar  work  prevailed  to  a  greater  extent  in 
Kentucky  than  elsewhere,  it  seems  proper  under  this 
head  to  give  some  account  of  it. 

From  1799  to  1803,  there  were,  in  most  parts  of  the 
United  States,  remarkable  out-pourings  of  the  Divine 
Spirit,  among  different  denominations  ;  multitudes  be- 
came the  subjects  of  religious  concern,  and  were  made 
to  rejoice  in  the  salvation  of  God.  The  revival  among 
the  Baptists  in  the  southern  and  western  States,  has  al- 
ready been  frequently  referred  to,  and  accounts  of  the 
astonishing  additions  to  their  churches  have  been  given. 
This  great  revival  in  Kentucky  began  in  Boone  county 
on  the  Ohio  River,  and  in  its  progress  extended  up  the 
Ohio,  Licking,  and  Kentucky  Rivers,  branching  out  into 
the  settlements  adjoining  them.  It  spread  fast  in  differ- 
ent directions,  and  in  a  short  time  almost  every  part  of 
the  State  was  affected  by  its  influence.  It  was  computed 
that  about  ten  thousand  were  baptized  and  added  to  the 
Baptist  churches  in  the  course  of  two  or  three  years. 
This  great  work  progressed  among  the  Baptists  in  a 
much  more  regular  manner  than  people  abroad  have 
generally  supposed.  They  were  indeed  zealously  affect- 


252  Irregularities  fellow  the  Revival. 

ed,  and  much  engaged.     Many  of  their  ministers  bap- 
tized in  a  number  of  neighbouring  churches  from  two 
to  four  hundred  each.     And  two  of  them  baptized  about 
five  hundred  a-piece  in  the  course  of  the  work.     But 
throughout  the  whole,  they  preserved  a  good  degree  of 
decorum  and  order.     Those  camp-meetings,  those  great 
parades,  and  sacramental  seasons,  those  extraordinary 
exercises  of  falling  down,   rolling,   shouting,  jerking, 
dancing,  barking,  &c.  were  but  little  known  among  the 
Baptists  in  Kentucky,  nor  encouraged  by  them.     They, 
it  is  true,  prevailed  among  some  of  them  in  the  Green 
River   country  ;    but   generally   speaking,    they   were 
among  the  Presbyterians  and  Methodists,  and  in  the  end 
by  a  seceding  party  from  them  both,  which  denominated 
themselves  Christians,  but  which  were  generally  distin- 
guished by  their  opposers  by  the  name  of  New-Lights  and 
Schismatics.     These  strange  expressions  of  zeal,  which 
have  made  so  much  noise  abroad,  came  in  at  the  close 
of  the  revival,  and  were,  in  the  judgment  of  many,  the 
chaff  of  the  work.     There  was  a  precious  ingathering  of 
souls  among  the  Presbyterians  and  Methodists,  at  which 
they  rejoiced ;  but  when  the  work  arose  to  an  enthusi- 
astick  height,  many  different  opinions  were  expressed  re- 
specting it.     The  Methodists  had  no  scruples  of  its  being 
genuine  ;  but  among  the  Presbyterians  some  doubted — 
some  opposed — but  a  considerable  number  overleaped 
all  the  bounds  of  formality,  fanned  the  flame  as  fire  from 
heaven,  bid  up  camp-meetings,  and  sacramental  seasons, 
and  finally  run  religious  frenzy  into  its  wildest  shapes. 
Soon  a  number  of  these  ministers  separated  from  the 
rest,  formed  a  new  Presbytery,  called  the  Springfield,  up- 
on New-Light  principles,  soon  dissolved  that,  and  five  or 
six  of  them  in  a  few  years  became  Shaking  Quakers.* 

*  The  Springfield  Presbytery  was  formed  by  five  ministers,  who  separated 
from  the  Kentucky  Synod,  and  renounced  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Presbyterian 
church.  They  m?,ae  innovations  upon  almost  ever}'  part  of  Presbyterianism, 
but  yet  retained  something  of  its  form.  But  at  length  they  resolved  to  renounce 
evevy  thing  belonging  to  it,  and  made  its  LAST  WILL  AND  TESTAMENT, 
as  follows  : 

"  The  Presbytery  of  Sjiringjield,  sitting  at  Cane  Ridge,  in  the  county  of 
Bourbon,  being,  through  a  gracious  Providence,  in  more  than  ordinary  bodily- 
health,  growing  in  strength  and  size  daily  ;  and  in  perfect  soundness  and  com- 
posure of  mind  ;  but  knowing  that  it  is  appointed  for  all  delegated  bodies  once 
to  die.  ;;nd  considering  that  the  life  of  every  such  body  is  very  uncertain,  do 
make,  anj  ordain  this  our  last  Will  and  Testament^  in  manner  and  forni  fol- 
lowing, viz* 


Last  Will  of  the  Springfield  Presbytery.  253 

The  great  camp-meetings  and  sacramental  feasts,  de- 
scribed in  a  book,  called  "  Surprising  Accounts,"  &c. 
were  promoted  mostly  by  these  zealous  Presbyterians. 
The  Methodists  were  a  party  concerned,  but  very  few 
Baptists  attended  them,  except  as  spectators.  At  these 
great  meetings,  astonishing  crowds  assembled ;  they 
encamped  upon  the  ground,  and  kept  together  three  or 
four  days,  and  sometimes  a  week.  In  the  course  of  the 
meeting  the  Lord's  supper  was  administered, andall  Chris- 
tians of  every  denomination  were  invited  to  partake  of  it. 
The  Methodists  and  Presbyterians  communed  together, 
but  the  Baptists  could  not  consistently  unite  with  them. 
These  meetings  were  sometimes  bid  up  a  month  before. 

"  Imfirimis.  We  will,  that  this  body  die,  be  dissolved,  and  sink  into  union 
with  the  body  of  Christ  at  large  ;  for  there  is  but  one  body,  and  one  spirit, 
even  as  we  are  called  in  one  hope  of  our  calling. 

"  Item.  We  will,  that  our  name  of  distinction,  with  its  Reverend  title,  be 
forgotten  ;  that  there  be  but  one  Lord  over  God's  heritage,  and  his  name  one. 

"  Item.  We  will,  that  our  power  of  making  laws  for  the  government  of 
the  church,  and  executing  them  by  delegated  authority,  forever  cease  ;  that 
the  people  may  have  free  course  to  the  Bible,  and  adopt  the  law  of  the  spirit 
of  life  in  Christ  Jesus. 

"  Item',  We  -will,  that  candidates  for  the  gospel  ministry  henceforth  study 
the  Holy  Scriptures  with  fervent  prayer,  and  obtain  license  from  God  to 
preach  the  simple  gospel,  &c. 

"  Item.  We  will,  that  the  church  of  Christ  assume  her  native  right  of  in- 
ternal government,  &c. 

"  Item.  We  will,  that  each  particular  church,  as  a  body,  actuated  by  the 
same  spirit,  choose  her  own  preacher,  and  support  him  by  a  free-will  offer- 
ing, &c. 

"  Item.  We  will,  that  the  people  henceforth  take  the  Bible  as  the  only- 
sure  guide  to  heaven  ;  and  as  many  as  are  offended  with  other  books,  which 
stand  in  competition  with  it,  may  cast  them  into  the  fire  if  they  choose  ;  for  it 
is  better  to  enter  into  life  having  one  book,  than  having  many  to  be  cast  into 
hell. 

"  Item.  We  will,  that  preachers  and  people  cultivate  a  spirit  of  mutual 
forbearance  ;  pray  more,  and  dispute  less,  occ. 

The  three  next  items  regard  the  Synod  of  Kentucky. 

"  Item.  Finally,  we  will,  that  all  our  sister  bodies  read  their  Bibles  care- 
fully, that  they  may  see  their  fate  there  determined,  and  prepare  for  death 
before  it  is  too  late. 

"  Springfield  Presbytery,  ?     ,       , 
June  28t/i,  1804.          5     vi-s-; 

"ROBERT  MARSHALL,    B.  W.  STONE,  } 

JOHN  DUNLAVT,  JOHN  THOMPSON,      >  Witnesses." 

RICHARD  M'NEMAR,       DAVID  PURVIANCE,) 

Three,  at  least,  of  these  witnesses  afterwards  joined  the  Shakers,  who  hav- 
ing heard  of  the  dancing,  and  so  on,  among  the  Kentucky  people,  sent  three 
of  their  apostles  into  the  countiy  from  New-Lebanon,  in  ISew-York.  Thev 
found  matters  just  as  they  would  have  them,  and  a  great  number  fell  in  with 
their  principles.  Mai-shall  continued  his  New-Light  career,  became  the  head 
of  a  large  party  who  were  called  Marshallites.  Many  of  them  have  lately 
been  immersed,  but  I  do  not  learn  as  they  have  any  connexion  with  the  Bnp^- 
tists.  And  indeed  they  can  be  no  great  acquisition  to  the  Baptist  cause,  unless 
they  arc  much  reformed  both  in  principle  and  practice. 


2,54  Extraordinary  Exercises  of 

hand  ;  great  preparations  were  made  for  them,  and  all 
went  expecting  to  hear  much  crying  out,  see  much  fall- 
ing down,  &c.  In  these  meetings  there  assembled,  in 
the  opinion  of  spectators,  from  four  to  ten  or  twelve 
thousand,  and  at  one  of  them  eight  hundred  fell  down 
under  religious  impressions,  and  five  hundred  communi- 
cated. The  falling  down  exercise  needs  no  description, 
as  it  is  presumed  every  reader  will  understand  what  is 
meant  by  it.  There  was  also  in  these  meetings,  what  was 
called  the  rolling  exercise,  which  consisted  in  a  person's 
being  cast  down  in  a  violent  manner,  turned  over  swiftly 
like  a  log,  &c.  These  rolling  disciples  often  met  with  mud 
in  their  way,  and  got  up  from  their  devotions  in  a  sorrow- 
ful plight.  Dancing  was  a  very  common  practice  ;  many 
pleaded  they  could  not  help  it,  and  others  justified  them- 
selves from  David's  dancing  before  the  ark,  and  other 
passages  of  scripture.  The  most  singular  exercise  of  all 
was  the  jerks.  "  Nothing  in  nature  could  better  repre- 
sent this  strange  and  unaccountable  operation,  than  for 
one  to  goad  another,  alternately  on  every  side,  with  a 
piece  of  red-hot  iron.  The  exercise  commonly  began  in 
the  head,  which  would  fly  backward  and  forward,  and 
from  side  to  side,  with  a  quick  jolt,  which  the  person 
would  naturally  labour  to  suppress,  but  in  vain  ;  and  the 
more  any  one  laboured  to  stay  himself,  and  be  sober, 
the  more  he  staggered,  and  the  more  rapidly  his  twitches 
increased.  He  must  necessarily  go  as  he  was  stimulated, 
whether  with  a  violent  dash  on  the  ground,  and  bounce 
from  place  to  place  like  a  foot-ball ;  or  hop  round,  with 
head,  limbs,  and  trunk,  twitching  and  jolting  in  every 
direction,  as  if  they  must  inevitably  fly  asunder.  And 
how  such  could  escape  without  injury,  was  no  small 
wonder  to  spectators.  By  this  strange  operation,  the 
human  frame  was  commonly  so  transformed  and  disfig- 
ured, as  to  lose  every  trace  of  its  natural  appearance. 
Sometimes  the  head  would  be  twitched  right  and  left, 
to  a  half  round,  with  such  velocity  that  not  a  feature 
could  be  discovered,  but  the  face  appear  as  much  behind 
as  before  ;  and  in  the  quick  progressive  jerk,  it  would 
seem  as  if  the  person  was  transmuted  into  some  other 
species  of  creature.  Head  dresses  were  of  but  little 
account  among  the  female  jerkers.  Even  handkerchiefs 


Rolling,  Jerking,  and  Barking.  255 

bound  tight  round  the  head,  would  be  flirted  off  almost 
with  the  first  twitch,  and  the  hair  put  into  the  utmost 
confusion,"  &c.* 

There  was  something  altogether  unaccountable  in 
this  jerking  exercise.  At  first  it  was  experienced  only 
by  those  under  religious  concern  ;  but  in  the  end  it  be- 
came a  nervous  affection,  which  was  sympathetically 
communicated  from  one  to  another.  A  Presbyterian 
minister  heard  that  a  congregation  of  his  brethren, 
which  he  highly  esteemed,  had  got  to  jerking.  He  went 
to  persuade  them  out  of  the  frantick  exercise,  but  in  con- 
versing with  them  he  got  the  jerks  himself.  On  his  re- 
turn home,  his  people  assembled  to  hear  the  result  of  his 
visit.  While  he  was  describing  how  people  appeared  with 
the  jerks,  he  was  suddenly  taken  with  them,  and  the 
whole  assembly  soon  caught  the  distemper. 

Wicked  men  were  often  taken  with  these  strange 
exercises,  and  many  would  curse  the  jerks,  while  they  were 
under  their  singular  operation.  Some  were  taken  at  the 
tavern  with  a  glass  of  liquor  in  their  hands,  which  they 
would  suddenly  toss  over  their  heads,  or  to  a  distant 
part  of  the  room.  Others  were  taken  with  them  at  the 
card-table,  and  at  other  places  o'f  dissipation,  and  would, 
by  a  violent  and  unaffected  jerk,  throw  a  handful  of 
cards  all  over  the  room. 

These  accounts  were  taken  from  people  of  unquestion- 
able veracity,  and  no  doubt  can  be  entertained  of  their 
correctness.  These  jerking  exercises  were  rather  a  curse 
than  a  blessing.  None  were  benefited  by  them.  They 
left  sinners  without  reformation,  and  Christians  without 
advantage.  Some  had  periodical  fits  of  them  seven  or 
eight  years  after  they  were  first  taken  j  and  I  know  not  as 
they  have  got  over  jerking  yet. 

There  was  among  these  enthusiastick  people  one  more 
exercise  of  a  most  degrading  nature,  called  the  barks, 
which  frequently  accompanied  the  jerks.  Many  persons 
of  considerable  distinction,  in  spite  of  all  the  efforts  of 
nature,  as  it  was  said,  were  "  forced  to  personate  that 
animal,  whose  name,  appropriated  to  a  human  creature, 
is  counted  the  most  vulgar  stigma.  These  people  would 
take  the  position  of  a  canine  beast,  move  about  on  all- 

*  Kentucky  Revival,  p.  61,  62. 


256  Jerking  prevented  by  a  Preacher* 

fours,  growl,  snap  the  teeth,  and  bark  in  so  personating 
a  manner,  as  to  set  the  eyes  and  ears  of  the  spectator  at 
variance."     Some  might  be  forced  to  these  degrading 
exercises,  but  it  is  certain  that  many  turned  dogs  in  a 
voluntary  manner.     A  minister  in  the  lower  parts  of  Ken- 
tucky informed  me,  that  it  was  common  to  hear  people 
barking  like  a  flock  of  spaniels  on  their  way  to  meeting. 
There  they  would  start  up  suddenly  in  a  fit  of  barking, 
rush  out,  roam  around,  and  in  a  short  time  come  bark- 
ing and  foaming  back.     But   enough  has  been  said  of 
these  frantick  scenes.     The  above  accounts  are  not  fabu- 
lous tales,  but  they  are  real  arid  melancholy  facts.     In 
the  upper  counties  in  Kentucky,  where  the  revival  was 
the  greatest  among  the  Baptists,  they  were  not  at  all  af- 
fected with  these  delirious  exercises.     In  the  Green  River 
country  and  in  East-Tennessee,  they  prevailed  considera- 
bly amongst  them.     With  the  Methodists  they  prevail- 
ed generally.     The  Presbyterians  were  divided  respect- 
ing them  ;  some  opposed,  while  others  encouraged  them. 
Some  of  these  exercises  seemed  really  forced  upon  the 
subjects  of  them  by  some  invisible  power,  whether  good 
or  bad  the  reader  must  judge  for  himself  j  but  dancing, 
barking,  rolling,  shouting,  and  so  on,  were  undoubtedly, 
for  the  most  part,  works  of  choice  and  imitation,  which 
were  hypocritically  played  off  by  a  set  of  deluded,  mis- 
taken people.     Where  these  fantastick  exercises  were  op- 
posed, they  were  the  least  prevalent.     Those  ministers 
who  encouraged  them,  had  enough  of  them  to  attend  to. 

In  West-Tennessee  the  Baptists  were  not  troubled  with 
these  works  of  delusion,  but  they  prevailed  here  among 
the  Presbyterians  and  Methodists  ;  and  some,  who  came 
from  other  parts,  attempted  to  introduce  them  in  the 
Baptist  meetings.  A  Baptist  minister  by  the  name  of 
Mr.  Connico,  was  once  preaching  where  one  of  the  jerkers 
began  his  motions.  The  preacher  made  a  pause,  and  with 
a  loud  and  solemn  tone,  said,  "  In  the  name  of  the 
Lord,  I  command  all  unclean  spirits  to  leave  this  place." 
The  jerker  immediately  became  still,  and  the  report  was 
spread  abroad,  that  Mr.  Connico  cast  out  devils. 

On  the  whole,  it  appears  there  was  in  Kentucky  in 
17'jy,  and  for  two  or  three  succeeding  years,  a  precious 
work  of  grace.  Towards  the  close  of  it,  a  set  of  men 


No  Slaves  in  Ohio.  V5! 

arose,  who  attempted  to  carry  the  work  farther  than  the 
Lord  had  done  ;  and  among  them  were  exhibited  those 
astonishing  scenes  of  fanaticism  we  have  described.  Some 
of  the  promoters  of  these  scenes  became  convinced  oi 
their  delusion,  and  returned  to  a  sober  course  of  piety  ; 
but  many  went  off  into  errors  of  different  kinds,  and 
•not  a  few  of  them  became  Shaking  Quakers.  Richard 
M'Nemar,  formerly  a  Presbyterian  minister  of  great 
celebrity,  was  one  of  the  principal  promoters  of  these  ex- 
traordinary exercises  ;  he  was  also  one  of  the  first  who 
embraced  the  principles  of  the  Shakers.  After  he  had 
joined  the  dancing  fraternity,  he  reproached  his  breth- 
ren for  stopping  short  of  perfection.  These  exercises, 
he  said,  led  on  to  Shakerism  ;  and  most  people,  who 
had  seen  them,  were  of  his  mind. 


CHAP.     XVI. 

OHIO    AND    THE    WESTERN    TERRITORIES. 

OHIO  has  been  pronounced  the  most  delightful  of  any 
of  the  Western  States.  Its  fame  has  travelled  far,  and 
adventurers  from  New-England,  from  Georgia,  the  Caro- 
linas,  and  all  the  other  States,  and  indeed  from  many 
parts  of  Europe,  have  populated  its  fertile  plains  with 
an  astonishing  and  almost  incredible  rapidity.  In  1790, 
the  number  of  white  inhabitants,  French  and  English, 
was  estimated  at  3,500,  but  by  the  census  of  181 0,  they 
had  increased  to  230,760.  The  holding  of  slaves  has 
never  been  permitted  ip  Ohio,  and  many  of  the  Eman- 
cipators from  the  neighbouring  States,  where  they 
abound,  have  had  this  circumstance  particularly  in  view, 
in  fixing  on  this  State  as  a  place  of  settlement.  The 
Legislature  has  guarded  against  the  introduction  of  slaves, 
and  even  the  residence  of  black  people  in  this  retreat  of 
freedom,  by  a  strong  and  rigorous  prohibition.  And 
many  of  the  leading  members  of  the  Baptist  churches 
here,  have  taken  a  determined  stand  against  every  arti- 
cle of  that  policy,  which  subjects  to  degrading  and  per- 
petual servitude  so  many  of  the  unhappy  sons  of  Africa. 
This  favourite  maxim  the  Ohio  brethren  have  often, 
VOL.  2.  33 


258  Miami  Association. 

pushed  to  an  enthusiastic  extreme,*  and  in  many  instances 
have  doubtless  been  too  uncharitable  towards  their  breth- 
ren who  have  been  surrounded  by  staves  from  their  in- 
fancy, who  have  been  nurtured  by  the  sweat  of  their 
wretched  brows,  and  who  have  inherited  them  from 
their  fathers,  as  a  principal  part  of  their  fortune. 

Though  some  of  the  first  settlers  in  this  State  were 
Baptists,  yet  they  have  not,  as  in  Kentucky,  been  the 
prevailing  sect.  The  Methodists  have  been  and  proba- 
bly are  at  present,  the  most  numerous  of  any  one  de- 
nomination in  Ohio.  The  late  Governor  Tiffin  was  a 
Methodist  preacher,  before  his  elevation  to  that  dignified 
office.  But  the  Baptist  cause  has  prevailed  considerably, 
and  is  now  increasing  with  great  rapidity  throughout 
the  State  ;  churches  are  formed  in  almost  every  part  of 
it,  and  many  individuals  and  little  bodies  are  settled 
where  churches  have  not  yet  been  established.  In  18O9, 
there  were  in  this  State  about  sixty  churches,  in  which 
were  about  twenty-five  hundred  members.  Since  then, 
the  number  has  probably  greatly  increased. 

MIAMI    ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  Association  was  formed  in  17^7  of  only  four 
churches,  in  which  there  were  not  probably  more  than 
a  hundred  members.  It  is  situated  beween  the  Miami 
Rivers,  in  the  south-west  corner  of  the  State.  The 
church  formerly  called  Columbia,  now  Duck  Creek,, 
is  not  only  the  oldest  in  this  Association  but  in  the  State. 
It  was  raised  up  in  the  following  manner.  In  the  au- 
tumn of  1789,  a  number  of  families  went  down  the  Ohio 
River,  and  commenced  a  settlement  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Little  Miami  River  on  Col.  Symmes's  Purchase,  where 
the  town  of  Columbia  now  stands.  This  was  about  six 
miles  from  Fort  Washington,  now  Cincinnati.  In  this 
company  were  Mr.  Isaac  Ferris  from  Connecticut,  the 

*  The  Miami  Association  will  not  correspond  with  any  of  the  neighbouring 
Associations  in  Kentucky,  on  account  of  slavery,  nor  with  the  Red-Stone  As- 
sociation in  Pennsylvania,  because  a  few  of  the  churches  cf  this  body  are  in 
Virginia,  and  hold  slaves.  And  a  church  not  long  since  withdrew  from  the  Mia- 
mi Association,  because  she  corresponded  with  the  Philadelphia  Association ,  and 
this  Association  corresponded  with  that  rt  Charleston,  South-Carolina,  •whert. 
the  abomination  was  discovered.  This  far-fetched  argument  was  in  their  esti- 
mation sufficient  to  justify  their  withclrawment 


Columbia  Chunk*  2J9 

late  Judge  Goforth  from  New-Yoik,  Gen.  John  Gano 
from  the  same  city,  and  Messrs.  Benjamin  and  Elijah. 
Stites  originally  from  New- Jersey.  Some  others  were 
in  the  company,  whose  names  I  have  not  learnt.  This 
settlement  was  made  in  perilous  times.  The  Indians 
made  every  exertion  to  cut  them  oft  and  prevent  their 
settlement :  they  tried  by  many  stratagems  to  decoy 
them  ashore  on  their  passage  down  the  river ;  and  after 
they  had  settled,  they  were  continually  lurking  to  destroy 
them.  They  were  obliged,  for  a  number  of  years,  to 
live  mostly  in  forts  and  block-houses  ;  but  notwithstand- 
ing all  their  precautions,  a  number  of  the  first  settlers 
fell  victims  to  the  rage  of  their  savage  neighbours.  A 
number  of  the  company  above  mentioned  were  Baptist 
professors,  but  having  no  preacher  among  them,  they 
set  up  a  meeting  among  themselves,\vhich  they  conducted 
by  turns.  In  179O,  Stephen  Gano,  of  Providence,  Rhode- 
Island,  took  a  journey  into  the  western  country  to  visit 
his  father  and  family  relations  ;  he  also  visited  this  set* 
tlement,  baptized  three  persons,  and  formed  the  little 
company  into  a  church,  which  was  the  first,  of  any  de- 
nomination, raised  north  of  the  Ohio  River,  in  that  ex- 
tensive country,  then  called  the  North- Western  Territo- 
ry. This  church  soon  received  considerable  accessions 
from  emigrants  to  the  Miami  country,  and  as  the  fears 
of  the  Indians  subsided,  they  extended  their  settlements 
farther  out,  and  the  Columbia  church  became  the  moth- 
er of  most  of  the  first  churches,  which  arose  in  this  re- 
gion. Its  seat  is  now  removed  from  Columbia  to  a  place 
called  Duck  Creek.  Daniel  Clark  and  John  Smith  were 
the  first:  ministers  who  settled  in  this  quarter.  Mr.  Clark 
is  now  the  aged  and  respected  f  istor  of  the  church  at 
Turtle  Creek,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Lebanon.  Mr. 
Smith  became  pastor  of  the  church  at  Columbia,  and  for 
a  number  of  years  was  well  esteemed  and  apparently  use- 
ful. But  riches  and  honours  spoiled  him  for  a  preacher, 
and  he  relinquished  the  employment.  He  has  also  aban- 
doned his  religious  profession,  and  remains  a  melancho- 
ly example  either  of  successful  hypocrisy  or  of  woful 
apostacy.  He  was  suspected  of  being  concerned  in  the 
ill-fated  expedition  of  Col.  Aaron  Burr,  although  noth- 
ing was  proved  against  him,  At  that  time  he  was  a 


2  GO  Scloto  Association. 

Senator  in  Congress,  \vhere  he  was  impeached  and  ac- 
quitted. He  had  become  very  remiss  in  the  duties  of 
his  station  before  he  arose  to  the  senatorial  rank  j  but 
this,  with  the  Burr  affair,  seems  to  have  completed  his 
downfal.  He  had  acquired  a  large  estate,  but  Provi- 
dence frowned  upon  him,  and  he  lost  it  by  various 
means ;  and  he  has  now  become  a  poor,  apostate, 
wretched  man,  and  lives  somewhere  among  the  Span- 
iards in  West-Florida.  The  church  is  now  supplied  by 
Mr.  William  Jones,  a  native  of  Wales,  but  who  remov- 
ed hither  from  the  back  part  of  the  State  of  New- York. 

Of  the  other  churches  in  this  connexion,  1  have  not 
gained  sufficient  information,  to  say  much  respecting 
them.  They  were  formed  in  a  gradual  way,  mostly  of 
Baptist  members,  who  emigrated  from  other  parts. 

Nothing  very  remarkable  has  occurred  in  the  progress 
of  the  Miami  Association  ;  its  circumstances  have  gene- 
rally been  prosperous,  and  in  the  time  of  the  great  re- 
vival, it  experienced  considerable  enlargement.  The 
church  at  Columbia  received  the  addition  of  ninety 
members  in  one  year.  This  Association  has  correspond- 
ed with  the  Philadelphia  since  J  80O.  Attempts  have  al- 
so been  made  to  open  a  correspondence  with  some  of 
the  Associations  in  Kentucky,  a  number  of  which  are 
sufficiently  near;  but  the  prevailing  prejudices  on  the 
part  of  the  Ohio  brethren  have  hitherto  prevented  that 
profitable  intercourse,  which  is  usually  maintained  by 
neighbouring  Associations. 

A  division  of  this  Association  took  place  by  agreement 
in  1809,  and  a  new  Association  was  formed  from  it  by 
the  name  of  White  Water,  the  history  of  which  will  be 
given  in  the  account  of  the  Indiana  Territory. 

SCIOTO    ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  Association  is  in  a  central  part  of  the  State,  and 
was  formed  in  1805.  It  contained  at  the  time  of  its 
constitution  only  four  churches,  but  it  has  since  consid- 
erably increased.  It  is  situated  on  both  sides  of  the 
beautiful  Scioto  River,  from  which  the  Association  takes 
its  name,  and  a  number  of  the  churches  are  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Chilicothe.  The  church  at  Ames  was  con- 
stituted in  1800  5  it  is  composed  of  people  mostly  from 


German  Church  in  Ohio.  261 

New-England,  and  was  the  first  church  which  was  gath- 
ered within  the  bounds  of  the  Association.  The  Ger- 
man or  High  Dutch  church  at  Pleasant  Run,  in  the  coun- 
ty of  Fairfield,  and  near  the  town  of  New-Lancaster,  is 
the  most  distinguished  on  some  accounts  of  any  one  in 
this  Association,  and  is  remarkable  for  having  emigrated 
from  Virginia,  to  its  present  situation,  in  a  church  capac- 
ity. In  J801,  six  families,  among  whom  were  fifteen 
church  members,  removed  from  Virginia,  and  in  the 
wilderness  of  Ohio  began  the  settlement,  which  is  now 
pleasant  and  flourishing.  A  number  of  others  have  since 
followed ;  some  English  people  have  also  united  with 
them  ;  so  that  their  church  in  1809  contained  upwards 
of  seventy  members.  The  German  brethren,  who  took 

*  •  * 

the  lead  in  forming  this  church,  came  principally  from 
Rockingham  county,  and  the  church,  which  they  trans- 
ported to  Ohio,  was  constituted  in  Virginia  about  1190. 
It  came  out  from  what  was  called  the  White-House 
church  in  the  county  of  Shenandoah.  The  members  of 
this  church,  in  Kentucky,  would  be  called  rigid  Eman- 
cipators ;  they  were  constituted  on  their  present  princi- 
ples in  Virginia,  and  carried  their  opposition  to  slavery 
so  far  as  to  resolve,  that  they  would  hold  no  slaves  them- 
selves, nor  have  any  communion  or  visible  fellowship 
with  their  brethren  who  did.  On  account  of  these  prin- 
ciples, they  were  subjected  to  many  inconveniences  in 
their  native  State,  which  led  them  to  seek  an  asylum  in 
the  wilderness,  where  they  might  enjoy  unembarrassed 
and  unreproached  the  free  exercise  of  principles  which 
they  held  most  dear.  They  settled  on  a  very  fertile 
tract  of  land,  and  are  an  industrious  and  happy  commu- 
nity. The  church  is  supplied  by  three  preachers,  whose 
names  are  Lewis  Sites,  Samuel  Comer,  and  Martin  Cof- 
man,  who  preach  both  in  German  and  English.  When 
the  congregation  is  mostly  made  up  of  German  people, 
they  preach  in  the  German  language,  and  in  the  English 
when  it  is  otherwise  ;  and  besides  supplying  their  own 
church,  these  respectable  preachers  travel  and  labour 
much  in  the  surrounding  settlements,  and  with  the  young 
and  destitute  churches.  This  account  of  the  German 
church  was  made  out  when  I  visited  it  in  18(  9.  What 
alterations  have  taken  place  in  it  since,  I  have  not  heard. 


262         '  Baptists  in  the  Territorial  Government. 

BEAVER   ASSOCIATION. 

IN  180B,  the  churches  of  Providence,  Hopewell,  Che- 
nango,  New-Lisbon,  Warren,  and  Little  Beaver,  most  of 
which  were  of  recent  origin,  were  dismissed  from  the 
Red-Stone  Association,  and  were  shortly  afterwards 
formed  into  the  one  we  now  have  in  view,  which  receiv- 
ed its  name  from  a  creek,  which  empties  into  the  Ohio 
River  from  the  north,  about  thirty  miles  below  Pittsburg. 
The  churches  in  this  Association  are  partly  in  Ohio  and 
partly  in  Pennsylvania.  Some  of  them  were  raised  up 
by  David  Phillips,  Henry  Frazer,  and  some  other  minis- 
ters belonging  to  the  Redstone  Association;  but  the  most 
extensive  and  successful  labourer  in  this  part  of  the 
vineyard,  is  Mr.  Thomas  G.  Jones,  a  native  of  Wales, 
who  settled  here  a  few  years  since.  Mr.  Jones  has  been 
employed  as  a  Missionary  a  part  of  the  time  by  the 
Philadelphia  Missionary  Board  ;  and  by  a  divine  blessing 
on  his  labours,  many  have  been  turned  to  the  Lord,  and 
a  number  of  flourishing  churches  established. 

This  account  of  the  Beaver  Association  I  received 
from  Mr.  David  Phillips,  near  Pittsburg,  in  1 809.  I  have 
written  a  number  of  letters  for  further  information,  but 
none  has  been  communicated. 

Besides  the  churches  in  these  Associations,  there  are 
many  others  in  this  State,  which,  on  account  of  their 
scattered  and  remote  situations,  do  not  belong  to  any 
associate  connexion. 

AN    ACCOUNT    OF    THE    BAPTISTS    IN  THE    TERRITORIAL 
GOVERNMENTS. 

BESIDES  the  three  States  of  Ohio,  Kentucky,  and  Ten- 
nessee, there  were,  before  the  State  of  Orleans  was  form- 
ed, beyond  the  Alleghany  mountains,  six  territorial  gov- 
ernments. Three  of  these,  viz.  the  Indiana,  the  Illinois, 
and  Michigan,  together  with  the  State  of  Ohio,  are  sub- 
divisions of  that  extensive  tract  of  country,  formerly 
called  the  North-Western  Territory. 

The  Missisippi  Territory,  which  was  formerly  inclu- 
ded in  the  State  of  Georgia,  lies  between  that  State  and 
the  river  from  which  it  received  its  name.  The  Loui- 
siana and  Orleans  Territories,  the  last  of  which  has  lately 


White  Waicr>  and  Wabflsh  Associations.  26 S 

been  admitted  the  eighteenth  State  in  the  Union,  com- 
prehend that  extensive  tract  known  by  the  name  of  the 
Louisiana  Country,  which  was  lately  purchased  by  the 
United  States,  of  France,  about  which  politicians,  many  of 
whom  knew  not  whether  it  was  on  the  Western  or  Eastern 
Continent,  have  had  so  much  talk  and  disputation. 

All  these  territories  are  rapidly  settling  by  emigrants 
from  almost  every  part  of  the  United  States  ;  in  most 
of  them  Baptist  churches  have  been  established,  and 
throughout  all  of  them  Baptist  families  are  more  or  less 
scattered ;  but  I  have  found  it  difficult  to  gain  sufficient 
information  of  these  remote  and  wide-spread  regions,  to 
be  able  to  give  much  account  of  our  brethren  in  them  : 
the  following  statements,  however,  1  believe  may  be  de- 
pended upon  as  correct. 

The  Indiana  Territory  lies  west  of  the  State  of  Ohio, 
from  which  it  is  separated  by  a  line  running  north  and 
south,  Tt  is  bounded  south  by  the  Ohio  River,  north 
by  the  Michigan  Lake  and  Territory. 

In  this  Territory  there  are  three  Associations,  and  a 
considerable  number  of  churches  which  are  not  associ- 
ated. 

WHITE    WATER   ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  Association  was  formed  by  a  division  of  the 
Miami,  in  J  809.  It  commenced  with  nine  churches,  and 
has  now  increased  to  eleven.  It  is  a  small  body,  but 
is  well  supplied  with  preachers,  who  are  well  spoken  of 
as  men  of  ability  and  usefulness.  A  few  of  the  churches 
jn  this  connexion  are  in  the  State  of  Ohio,  but  most  of 
them  are  in  the  Indiana  Territory. 

WABASH   ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  was  also  formed  in  18O9,  of  five  churches,  in  all 
which  there  were  but  a  little  more  than  eighty  members  ; 
but  in  about  two  years  many  new  churches  were  added 
to  it,  and  its  number  of  members  amounted  to  over 
eight  hundred.  But  many  of  them  have  probably  been 
scattered  by  the  troubles  of  the  present  Indian  War. 
At  the  beginning  of  this  Association  it  contained  only 
two  ministers,  whose  names  were  Alexander  Deven  and 
Isaac  M'Coy.  Its  churches  are  on  the  W  abash  River,  and 
spme  of  them  near  the  town  of  Vincennes. 


264          Silver  Creek>  and  Missisippi  Associations. 

SILVER    CREEK     ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  Association  was  formed  in  1811,  of  nine  small 
churches,  which  formerly  belonged  to  the  Long  Run 
Association  in  Kentucky.  It  is  situated  near  the  falls  of 
the  Ohio. 

The  Illinois  Territory  was  formed  but  a  few  years 
since,  by  a  division  of  the  Indiana,  and  lies  between  that 
and  the  Missisippi  River.  About  1807  or  1808,  an 
Association,  the  name  of  which  I  have  not  learnt,  was 
formed  of  churches,  which  were  situated  on  the  Missisip- 
pi, some  in  this  Territory,  and  a  few  over  in  the  Louisi- 
ana country.  In  1809,  it  had  increased  to  ten  churches, 
eight  or  ten  ministers,  and  about  two  hundred  members. 
On  what  part  of  the  Missisippi  River  these  churches 
were  situated,  I  have  not  been  informed  ;  but  they  must 
have  been  somewhere  between  the  mouths  of  the  Ohio 
and  Missouri.  This  Association  travelled  in  union  but 
a  short  time.  Disputes  about  slavery  were  introduced 
in  it,  and  effected  its  division  in  18O9.  Three  churches 
maintained  the  holding  of  slaves,  and  the  rest  opposed 
it.  Disputes  rose  so  high,  that  they  could  no  longer 
travel  in  fellowship  ;  they,  however,  agreed  to  part  in 
peace,  and  accordingly  the  Association  was  dissolved. 
What  has  been  the  progress  of  the  Baptist  cause  in  this 
region  since  that  period,  I  have  not  learned. 

There  are  many  Baptists  scattered  throughout  the 
Louisiana  country,  but  I  conclude  there  are  not  many 
churches. 

In  Kentucky,  I  saw  a  Baptist  family,  which  was  about 
moving  a  considerable  distance  up  the  Missouri,  where, 
they  were  informed,  were  many  of  their  brethren,  and 
it  is  probable  a  church  or  churches  have  been  established 
there  before  this  time.  But  these  people  must  all  be  in 
an  uncomfortable  situation,  on  account  of  the  barbarous 
depredations  of  the  Indians. 

MISSISIPPI    ASSOCIATION. 

THIS  Association,  I  conclude,  was  formed  about  18O7. 

It  now  contains  about  twelve  churches,  many  of  which 

-are  situated  at  no  great  distance  from  the  Natchez,  and 

some  of  the  members  of  one  of  the  churches  reside  in 

that  town. 


Extent  of  the  Baptist  Communion. 

1'he  B.iptists  by  whom  these  churches  were  planted, 
emigrated  mostly  from  Georgia  and  South-Carolina. 

There  are  a  very  few  Baptists  in  the  city  of  New-Or- 
leans. Mr.  Edmund  J.  Reis,  from  Nova-Scotia,  lately 
spent  about  six  months  in  preaching  there.  Most  of  the 
inhabitants  of  this  city  speak  the  French  language,  in 
which  Mr.  Reis  was  brought  up,  as  he  was  born  in  Paris, 
and  lived  there  until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age.  His 
preaching  here  was  well  attended  ;  and  since  he  left  the 
city,  we  are  informed  that  a  religious  stir  of  considerable 
extent  has  taken  place. 

Thus  we  have  endeavoured  to  describe  the  progress 
and  circumstances  of  the  Baptists  throughout  the  great 
American  Continent.  We  see  that  their  progress  has 
been  great,  and  that  they  have  extended  their  commu- 
nion over  a  vast  extent  of  country  from  Nova-Scotia  to 
New-Orleans.  A  number  of  miscellaneous  articles  re- 
main  yet  to  be  given  ;  but  before  we  proceed  to  them, 
we  shall  insert  a  number  of  biographical  sketches, which 
will  be  arranged  in  alphabetical  order. 


VOL.  2.  34 


266  Biography  of  John  Asplund. 


CHAP.   XVII. 

Biographical  Accounts  of  a  Number  of  Characters,  whose  His~ 
tory  could  not  be  with  convenience  inserted  elsewhere. 

JOHN  ASPLUND. This  singular  man  is,  on  account 

of  his  extensive  travels,  very  generally  known  throughout 
the  United  States.  According  to  information  received 
from  Mr.  John  Leland,  he  was  born  in  the  interiour  of 
Sweden.  He  was  bred  to  the  mercantile  business,  went 
to  England  about  the  beginning  of  the  American  war, 
where  he  acted  some  time  as  clerk  in  a  store.  He  was 
either  pressed  or  entered  voluntarily  into  the  British  naval 
service,  which  he  deserted  on  the  American  coast,  and 
made  his  way  into  North-Carolina.  There,  about  17S2j 
he  embraced  religion,  and  was  baptized  by  David  Walsh. 
Soon  after,  he  joined  the  South-Hampton  church  in  Virgin- 
ia, then  under  the  care  of  David  Barrow.  About  1785, 
he  went  back  to  his  native  country,  visited  England,  Den- 
mark, Finland,  Lapland,  Germany,  and  returned  to  Vir- 
ginia. Not  long  after  his  return,  he  began  to  make  prep- 
arations for  his  Register  of  the  Baptist  churches  in  Ameri- 
ca, which  he  published  in  a  small  quarto  pamphlet  in  1791. 
This  work  cost  him  about  seven  thousand  miles  travel, 
chiefly  on  foot,  which  mode  of  travelling  he  seems  to  have 
preferred.  After  this,  Mr.  Asplund  travelled  ten  thou- 
sand miles  more,  and  published  a  second  Register  in  1791-. 
By  this  time  he  had  become  personally  acquainted  with 
seven  hundred  ministers  of  the  Baptist  denomination.  Mr. 
Asplund  was  a  preacher  of  no  great  gifts,  but  was  gene- 
rally respected  for  a  number  of  years.  But  at  length  he 
got  entangled  with  land  speculation,  for  which  he  was  al- 
together unqualified.  Some  other  things  of  an  unfavour- 
able nature  exposed  him  to  the  censures  of  his  brethren. 
-The  latter  part  of  his  life  was  spent  on  the  eastern  shore 
of  Maryland,  and  there  he  was  drowned  from  a  canoe,  in 
Fishing  Creek,  in  1807.  He  left  a  wife  and  one  child. 
The  Baptist  churches  in  America  have  reason  to  respect 
the  memory  of  this  diligent  inquirer  into  their  number, 
origin,  character,  &c.  His  Register  has  been  of  peculiar 
service  in  the  preparation  of  this  work. 


Biography  of  Isaac  Backus.  267 

ISAAC  BACKUS,  A.M. It  is  much  to  be  lamented,  that 

he  who  took  such  unwearied  pains  to  record  the  lives  of 
others,  has  found  no  one  among  all  his  friends  to  write 
his  own.  Mr.  Backus  was  one  of  the  most  useful  minis- 
ters, that  has  ever  appeared  among  the  American  Baptists. 
For  about  fifty  years  he  was  a  laborious  servant  of  their 
churches,  and  a  considerable  part  of  about  thirty  of  the 
last  of  them,  was  devoted  to  historical  pursuits.  This 
excellent  man  still  lives  in  the  memory  of  thousands  of 
his  brethren ;  but  scarcely  any  biographical  sketches  of 
his  life  are  preserved,  except  what  are  found  in  his  own 
writings.  The  author  of  this  work  never  saw  him  but 
once,  of  course  he  knows  but  little  about  him,  except  from 
report.  He  has  solicited  those,  who  were  well  acquainted 
with  this  renowned  father  for  many  years,  to  draw  a  charac- 
teristick  portrait,  which  should  set  in  a  proper  light  his  dis- 
tinguished merit.  But  as  no  one  has  been  found  to  pay 
this  tribute  of  respect,  all  that  can  be  now  done  is  to  col- 
lect a  few  incidents  of  his  life  from  his  publick  writings 
and  his  voluminous  journals  and  diaries. 

Mr.  Backus  was  born  at  Norwich,  Connecticut,  Jan.  9, 
1724.  His  parents  were  pious  and  respectable  members 
of  the  Pedobaptist  church  in  that  toxvn,  by  whom  he  was 
brought  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord. 
His  mother  was  a  descendant  of  the  family  of  Wirislows, 
who  came  over  to  Plymouth  in  1620 ;  his  father 
sprung  from  one  of  the  first  Planters  in  Norwich.  In 
the  New-Light  Stir,  in  Whitefield's  time,  some  of  Mr. 
Backus's  connexions  united  with  the  Separates,  for 
which  they  were  harassed  and  persecuted  by  the  ruling 
party.  His  mother,  when  a  widow,  and  some  more  of 
his  relatives,  were  cast  into  prison  for  adopting  religious 
principles  contrary  to  law.  It  was  in  the  midst  of  the 
New-Light  Stir,  that  the  subject  of  this  memoir  was 
brought  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  in  the  18th  year 
of  his  age.  He  united  with  a  Pedobaptist  church  in  his 
native  town,  and  began  in  the  ministry  in  1746.  About 
two  years  after,  he  was  ordained  pastor  of  a  church  in 
Middleborough  of  the  same  persuasion.  In  this  town, 
he  spent  sixty  years  of  his  useful  life.  In  1749,  he  was 
married  to  Susanna  Mason  of  Rehoboth,  with  whom  Le 
Hved  in  the  greatest  harmony  about  fifty-one  years. 


268  Biography  of  Isaac  'Backus. 

She,  according  to  his  own  words,  "  was  the  greatest 
earthly  blessing  which  God  ever  gave  him."    As  yet  Mr, 
Backus  was   a  Pedobaptist  of  the  Separate  order,  and 
the  church,  of  which  he  was  pastor,  was  of  the  same 
character.     They  experienced  blessings  from  the  Lord, 
but  persecutions  from  men.     The  publicans  of  the  par- 
ish soon  began  to  distress  them  for  the  support  of  their 
worship.      Mr.    Backus,   among   the   rest,  was    taxed, 
seized,  and  imprisoned  a  short  time,  and  then  releas- 
ed without  paying  the  tax,  or   coming  to  any  com- 
promise.    Disputes  respecting  baptism  were  agitated  in 
this  church  about  this  time,  which  were  continued  a 
number  of  years,  and  some  of  the  members  were  con- 
strained  from  time  to  time  to  go  into  the  water.     In 
1751,  Mr.  B.  was  himself  baptized,  with  six  of  his 
members,  by  Elder  Pierce,  of  Warwick,  Rhode-Island. 
From  this  period  until  17.56,  this  church  practised  open 
communion,  but  in  that  year  those  who  had  become  Bap- 
tists came  out  and  formed  a  church  upon  the  gospel 
plan,  and  Mr.  Backus  became  its  pastor.     This  was  the 
nineteenth  Baptist  church  in  the  three  States  of  Massa- 
chusetts, New-Hampshire,  and  Vermont.      From  this 
date  to  the  death  of  this  venerable  man  was  a  period  of 
about  fifty  years.     Nothing  remarkable  appears  to  have 
occurred  in  the  discharge  of  his  pastoral  duties ;  but  the 
part  which  he  took  in  the  general  welfare  of  the  Baptist 
churches,  furnishes  a  number  of"  incidents  which  ought 
to  be  recorded. 

Mr.  Backus  early  imbibed  a  settled  aversion  to  civil  co- 
ercion in  religious  concerns  ;  he  was  taught  its  iniquity 
both  by  expprience  and  observation  ;  and  few  men  have 
exerted  themselves  more  than  he  in  the  support  of  the 
equal  rights  of  Christians.  In  1772,  he  was  chosen  an 
agent  for  the  Baptist  churches  in  Massachusetts,  in  the 
room  of  Mr.  Davis,  formerly  pastor  of  the  second  church 
in  Boston,  then  lately  deceased.  This  agency  was  mere- 
ly in  civil  affairs,  and  was  executed  by  him,  who  was 
entrusted  it,  with  much  ability,  and  to  some  effect.  Our 
brethren  in  this  government  were  then  so  continually 
harassed  for  the  support  of  the  established  clergy,  that 
they  found  it  necessary  to  have  some  one  upon  the 
watch,  to  advise  on  sudden  emergencies,  and  to  afford 


Biography  of  Isaac  Backus.  '260 

assistance  to  those  who  were  in  trouble.  Their  great 
object  was  to  obtain  the  establishment  of  equal  religious 
liberty  in  the  land,  which  the  predominant  party  were 
determined  to  prevent.  About  a  year  before  Mr.  Backus 
accepted  the  agency  of  the  churches,  he  was  requested 
to  write  their  history,  which  he  accordingly  set.  about, 
and  published  his  first  volume  in  1777- 

When  the  disputes  came  on,  which  terminated  in  the 
Revolutionary  War  and  the  Independence  of  the  United 
States,  the  Baptists  united  with  the  rest  of  the  American 
people  in  resisting  the  arbitrary  claims  of  Great- Britain  ; 
but  it  seemed  to  them  unreasonable  that  they  should  be 
called  upon  to  contend  for  civil  liberty,  if  after  it  was 
gained,  they  should  still  be  exposed  to  oppression  in  re- 
Jigious  concerns.  When,  therefore,  the  first  Continen- 
tal Congress  met  in  Philadelphia,  the  Warren  Associa- 
tion, viewing  //  as  the  highest  civil  resort,  agreed  to  send 
Mr.  Backus  as  their  agent  to  that  convention,  "  there 
to  follow  the  best  advice  he  could  obtain,  to  procure 
some  influence  from  thence  in  their  favour."  When 
he  arrived  in  Philadelphia,  the  Association  there  appoint- 
ed a  large  committee,  of  whom  Dr.  Samuel  Jones  was 
one,  to  assist  their  New-England  brethren.  "  But  our 
endeavours,"  says  Dr.  Jones,  "  availed  us  nothing.  One 
of  them  told  us,  that  if  we  meant  to  effect  a  change  in 
their  measures  respecting  religion,  we  might  as  well  at- 
tempt to  change  the  course  of  the  sun  in  the  heavens."* 

Mr.  Backus,  failing  of  success  at  Philadelphia,  on  his 
return  met  the  Baptist  committee  at  Boston,  by  whose 
advice  a  memorial  of  their  grievances  was  drawn  up,  and 
laid  before  the  next  Congress  at  Cambridge,  near  Boston, 
to  which  the  following  answer  was  returned : 

"  In  Provincial  Congress,  Cambridge,  Dec.  9,  1 774. 

"  On  reading  the  memorial  of  the  Rev.  Isaac  Backus, 
agent  to  the  Baptist  churches  in  this  government  : 

"  Retched,  That  the  establishment  of  civil  and  relig- 
ious liberty,  to  each  denomination  in  the  province,  is 

*  Century  Sermon,  &c.  p.  14.    Whether  this  strong  expression  was  rorule 
seriously  by  a  Massachusetts  member, or  ironically  by  one  from  some  other 
State,  1  am  not  sure.    But  it  is  certain  from  Mr.  liackus's  account,  th 
Massachusetts  Delegates  were  peculiarly  insensible  to  the  complaints  ot'  the 
.oppressed  Baptists. 


270  Biography  of  Isaac  Backus. 

the  sincere  wish  of  this  Congress ;  but  being  by  no 
means  vested  with  powers  of  civil  government,  whereby 
they  can  redress  the  grievances  of  any  person  whatever  ; 
they  therefore  recommend  to  the  Baptist  churches, 
that  when  a  General  Assembly  shall  be  convened  in 
this  colony,  they  lay  the  real  grievances  of  said  churches 
before  the  same,  when  and  where  their  petition  will 
most  certainly  meet  with  all  that  attention  due  to  the 
memorial  of  a  denomination  of  Christians,  so  well  dis- 
posed to  the  publick  weal  of  their  country. 

"  By  order  of  the  Congress, 

"  JOHN  HANCOCK,  Preside**. 
"  A  true  extract  from  the  Minutes , 
"  JOHN  LINCOLN,  Secretary" 

Such  an  Assembly  as  is  here  mentioned,  convened  at 
Watertown,  July  1775,  to  which  our  brethren  presented 
another  memorial,  in  which  they  said,  "  Our  real  griev- 
ances are,  that  we,  as  well  as  our  fathers,  have  from  time 
to  time  been  taxed  on  religious  accounts  where  we  were 
not  represented  ;  and  when  we  have  sued  for  our  rights, 
our  causes  have  been  tried  by  interested  judges.  That 
the  Representatives  in  former  Assemblies,  as  well  as  the 
present,  were  elected  by  virtue  only  of  civil  and  worldly 
qualifications,  is  a  truth  so  evident,  that  we  presume  it 
need  not  be  proved  to  this  Assembly  ;  and  for  a  civil 
Legislature  to  impose  religious  taxes,  is,  we  conceive,  a 
power  which  their  constituents  never  had  to  give,  and 
is,  therefore,  going  entirely  out  of  their  jurisdiction. 
Under  the  legal  dispensation,  where  God  himself  pre- 
scribed the  exact  proportion  of  what  the  people  were  to 
give,  yet  none  but  persons  of  the  worst  characters  ever 
attempted  to  take  it  by  force.  How  daring  then  must  it 
be  for  any  to  do  it  for  Christ's  ministers,  who  says,  My 
kingdom  is  not  of  this  world  !  V\Te  beseech  this  honorable 
Assembly  to  take  these  matters  into  their  wise  and  seri- 
ous consideration  before  Him,  who  has  said,  With  what 
wens ure  ye  mete  it  shall  be  measured  to  you  again.  Is  not  all 
America  now  appealing  to  Heaven,  against  the  injustice 
of  being  taxed  where  we  are  not  represented,  and  against 
being  judged  by  men,  who  are  interested  in  getting 


Biography  of  Isaac  Backus.  271 

away  our  money  ?  And  will  Heaven  approve  of  your 
doing  the  same  thing  to  your  fellow  servants  !  No,  surely. 
We  have  no  desire  of  representing  this  government  as 
the  worst  of  any  who  have  imposed  religious  taxes  ;  we 
fully  believe  the  contrary.  Yet,  as  we  are  persuaded 
that  an  entire  freedom  from  being  taxed  by  civil  rulers 
to  religious  worship,  is  not  a  mere  favour,  from  any 
man  or  men  in  the  world,  but  a  right  and  property  grant- 
ed us  by  God,  who  commands  us  to  stand  fast  in  //,  we 
have  not  only  the  same  reason  to  refuse  an  acknowledg- 
ment of  such  a  taxing  power  here,  as  America  has  the 
abovesaid  power,  but  also,  according  to  our  present  light, 
we  should  wrong  our  consciences  in  allowing  that  pow- 
er to  men,  which  we  believe  belongs  only  to  God." 

This  memorial  was  read  in  the  Assembly,  and  after 
laying  a  week  on  the  table,  was  read  again,  debated  upon, 
and  referred  to  a  committee,  who  reported  favourably. 
A  bill  was  finally  brought  in,  in  favour  of  the  petitions, 
read  once,  and  a  time  set  for  its  second  reading ;  but 
their  other  business  crowded  in,  and  nothing  more  was 
done  about  it.  In  this  manner  have  the  Baptists  always 
been  shuffled  out  of  their  rights.  After  this,  they  made 
a  number  of  attempts  to  get  some  security  for  their  free- 
dom from  religious  oppression,  but  none  was  ever  for- 
mally given  them.  They  had  many  fair  promises,  which 
were  never  fulfilled  ;  and  when  the  State  Constitution 
was  formed,  the  Bill  of  Rights  was  made  to  look  one 
way,  but  priests  and  constables  have  gone  another.  The 
first  article  of  the  Bill  of  Rights  ^declares  "  All  men  are 
born  free  and  equal,  and  have  certain  natural,  essential, 
and  urialienable  rights,"  &c.  The  second  declares,  "  No 
subject  shall  be  hurt,  molested,  or  restrained,  in  his  per- 
son, liberty  or  estate,  for  worshipping  God  in  the  manner 
and  season  most  agreeable  to  the  dictates  of  his  own  con- 
science," &c. 

But  notwithstanding  all  these  declarations,  many  have 
been  molested  and  restrained  in  their  persons,  liberties,  and 
estates,  on  religious  accounts. 

These  things  we  have  thought  proper  to  insert  in  Mr. 
Backus's  biography.  He  was  undoubtedly  the  draughts- 
man of  some  of  the  memorials  of  his  brethren,  and  he 
was  certainly  the  able  and  undaunted  expositor  of  them 


272  Biography  of  Isaac  Backus. 

all.  His  \vhole  soul  was  engaged  in  the  prosecution  of 
his  agency  ;  insomuch  that  he  became  the  champion  of 
non-conformity  in  England,  and  was,  on  that  account, 
much  vilified  and  abused  by  the  established  party. 

When  he  waited  on  the  Congress  at  Philadelphia,  he 
was  accused  of  going  there  on  purpose  to  attempt  to 
break  the  union  of  the  colonies.  The  news-papers 
abounded  with  pieces  against  him,  some  of  which  he  an- 
swered, and  others  he  treated  as  beneath  his  notice.  In 
one,  he  was  threatened  with  a  halter  and  the  gallows  ; 
but  he  had  been  too  long  inured  to  the  war,  to  be  ter- 
rified by  such  impotent  threats. 

In  1789,  Mr.  Backus  took  a  journey  into  Virginia  and 
North- Carolina,  in  which  he  was  gone  about  six  months, 
preached  a  hundred  and  twenty-six  sermons,  and  travel- 
led by  land  and  water  going  and  coming  over  three'" 
thousand  miles.  This  journey  was  undertaken  in  conse- 
quence of  a  request  from  the  southern  brethren,  for  some 
one  of  the  ministers  of  the  Warren  Association  to  come 
and  assist  them,  in  the  great  field  of  labour  which  was 
then  opened  before  them. 

These  sketches  give  us  some  view  of  Mr.  Backus's  la- 
bours abroad  ;  the  following  list  of  his  writings  will  in- 
form the  reader  how  he  employed  his  time  at  home. 
This  list  was  made  out  by  himself,  and  was  found 
among  his  papers. 

His  first  publication  was  a  Discourse  oa  the  Internal  Call  to  preach  the 
Gospel,  in  1754. 

~2A.  A  Sermon  on  Galatians,  iv.  31.  So  then,  brethren,  we  are  not  chil- 
dren of  tht  bond-woman,  but  of  the  free.  1756. 

3d.    A  Sermon  en  Acts  x'ni.  27.     1763. 

4th.    A  Letter  to  Mr.  Lord     1764. 

5th.    A  Sermon  on  Prayer.     1766. 

6th.    A  Discourse  on  Faith.    1767. 

7th.    An  Answer  to  Mr.  Fish.     1768. 

8th.    A  Sermon  on  his  Mother's  Death.    1769. 

9th.  A  second  edition  of  his  Sermon  on  Galatians  iv.  31,  with  an  Answer 
to  Mr.  Frothingham.  1770. 

10th.    A  Plea  for  Liberty  of  Conscience.    1770. 

llth.    Sovereign  Grace  vindicated.     1771. 

12th.    A  Letter  concerning  Taxes  to  support  Religious  Worship.    1771, 

13th.    A  Sermon  at  the  ordination  of  Mr.  Hunt.    1772. 

14th.    A  Reply  to  Mr.  Holly.    1772. 

15th.    A  Reply  to  Mr.  Fish.    1773. 

16th.    An  Appeal  to  the  Publick  in  Defence  of  Religious  Libert}-.    1773. 

17th.    A  Letter  on  the  Decrees.     1773. 

18th.    A  History  of  the  Baptists,  1  vol.    1777. 

19th.    Government  and  Liberty  described.    1778. 

20th.    A  Piece  upon  Baptism.     1779. 

2 1st.    True  Policy  requires  Equal  Religious  Liberty.    1779. 


Biography  of  Isaac  Backus.  273 

82d.  An  Appeal  to  the  People  of  Massachusetts  against  Arbitrary  Power. 
1780. 

23d.    Truth  is  great  and  will  prevail.     1781. 

24th.    The  Doctrine  of  Universal  Salvation  examined  and  refuted.     1782. 

25th.    A  Door  opened  for  Christian  Liberty.     1783. 

'26th.    A  History  of  the  Baptists,  vol.  II.     1784. 

27th.    Godli;iess  exdudes  Sluveiy,  in  Answer  to  John  Cleavelond.     17S5. 

28th.    The  Testimony  cl"  the  'I  v.o  Witnesses.     1786. 

29th.     An  Address  to' New-England.     1787. 

30th.    An  Answer  to  Kemmele  on  the  Atonement     1787. 

31st.    A  Piece  (fh  Discipline.     1787. 

32d.     An  Answer  to  Wesley  on  Election  and  Perseverance.    1789. 

33d.    On  the  Support  of  Gospel  Ministers.     17yu. 

34th.     An  Essay  on  the  K'.y.piioin  of  God.    1792. 

35th.    A  History  of  the  Baptists,  VoL  111,    17%. 

36th.  A  second  edition  ot  his  Sermon  on  the  Death  of  his  Mother  ;  to  which 
was  added  a  Slvort  Account  of  his  Wife,  who  died  in  1800.  Published  1P03. 

Most  of  the  pieces  in  the  foregoing  list  were  small  j 
but  a  number  of  them,  besides  his  History,  were  consid- 
erably large. 

In  180O,  our  historian  published  in  a  small  octavo  vol- 
ume, An  Abridgment  of  his  History  of  the  Baptists ; 
and  in  180.5,  the  year  before  his  death,  he  published  a 
discourse  under  the  title  of  A  Great  Faith  described. 
After  this  he  wrote  a  Sermon  on  the  Kingdom  of  Christ, 
which  has^  not  yet  been  published.  Besides  these  publi- 
cations, Mr.  Backus  wrote  a  number  of  Circular  Letters, 
and  inserted  a  large  number  of  pieces  in  different  publick 
prints.  These  news-paper  communications,  were  not  up- 
on the  common  political  topicks,  but  were  designed  to 
expose  ecclesiastical  oppressions',  and  to  defend  his  noble 
maxims  of  religious  freedom. 

This  distinguished  man  6nished  his  earthly  course 
with  great  composure,  November  2O,  1806,  in  the  83d 
year  of  his  age,  arid  60th  of  his  ministry.  He  had  been 
laid  by  from  his  publick  labours  a  few  months  previous 
to  his  death,  by  a  paralytitk  stroke,  which  deprived  him 
of  his  speech  and  the  use  of  his  limbs.  But  his  reason 
was  continued  to  the  last ;  and  in  his  expiring  moments, 
he  manifested  an  entire  resignation  to  the  will  of  Heaven. 
He  left  behind  him  a  number  of  children,  all  of  whom 
are  respectable  members  of  society.  He  never  received 
much  from  his  people  ;  but  by  the  blessing  of  Providence, 
he  had  accumulated  an  estate  of  considerable  value. 

It  is  presumed  that  but  a  few  Baptists  of  the  present 
day  are  sufficiently  sensible  how  much  they  are  indebted 
to  the  labours  of  this  departed  champion  of  their  cause. 
VOL.  2.  3.5 


274  Biography  of  Elijah  Baker. 

"  As  a  preacher,  he  was  evangelical  and  plain.  His 
discourses,  though  not  ornamented  with  the  rhetorick  of 
language,  were  richly  stored  with  Scripture  truth."  His 
historical  works  contain  a  vast  fund  of  materials  of  the 
utmost  importance  towards  a  history  of  our  denom- 
ination, which  must  have  sunk  into  oblivion,  had  it  not 
been  for  his  unwearied  care. 

[The  following  description,  &c.  wn>  furnished  by  Rev.  Dr.  IVildwin.] 

Mr.  Backus's  personal  appearance  was  very  grave  and 
venerable.  He  was  not  far  from  six  feet  in  stature,  and 
in  the  latter  part  of  life  considerably  corpulent.  He  was 
naturally  modest  and  diffident  j  which  probably  led  him 
into  a  habit,  which  he  continued  to  the  day  of  his  death, 
of  shutting  his  eyes,  when  conversing  or  preaching  on  5m- 
portant  subjects.  His  voice  was  clear  and  distinct,  but 
rather  sharp  than  pleasant.  In  both  praying  and  preach- 
ing, he  often  appeared  to  be  favoured  with  such  a  degree, 
of  divine  unction,  as  to  render  it  manifest  to  all  that 
God  was  with  him.  Few  men  have  more  uniformly  liv- 
ed and  acted  up  to  their  profession  than  Mr.  Backus, 
It  may  be  truly  said  of  him,  that  he  was  a  burning  and 
shining  light ;  and,  though  dead,  he  left  behind  him  the 
good  name  which  is  better  than  precious  ointment. 


[This  biography  is  taken  almost  verbatim  from  Semplers  History  of  the  Vir- 
ginia Baptists,  as  are  most  of  those  which  follow  of  the  Virginia  brethren.] 

ELIJAH  BAKER  was  born  in  1742,  in  the  county  of 
Lunenburg,  of  honest  and  reputable,  but  not  opulent 
parents.  When  grown  to  the  years  of  maturity,  he 
was  much  addicted  to  frolicks  and  sports  of  all  sorts. 
Going  to  hear  Mr.  Jeremiah  Walker  preach,  he  be- 
came thoroughly  convinced  of  the  necessity  of  vital 
religion.  His  volatile  disposition,  nevertheless,  kept 
him  from  seeking  for  it.  However  resolved  when 
under  preaching,  all  his  resolutions  would  fail  at  the 
sound  of  a  riddle,  or  the  cordial  invitation  of  his  pleas- 
ant, but  carnal  companions.  He  at  last  came  to  a  de- 
termination to  give  his  old  companions  one  more  frol- 
ick,  and  then  forsake  them  forever.  This  resolution 
he  kept,  and  was  no  mare  to  be  found  among  the  sons 


Biography  of  Elijah  Baker.  375 

of  carnal  pleasure.  lie  listened  now,  not  to  the  musick 
of  the  violin,  but  to  sublimer  musick,  the  faithful  preach- 
ing of  the  gospel.  Thus,  giving  up  the  world,  after  ma- 
ny  previous  ineffectual  efforts,  his  convictions  soon  be- 
came exceedingly  sharp  and  pungent.  Sometimes  he 
was  so  convulsed  as  not  to  be  able  to  stand.  Heaven 
ultimately  smiled  9  and  Mr.  Baker  was  constrained  by 
the  love  of  God,  now  shed  abroad  in  his  heart,  to  make  a 
profession  of  grace,  and  was  baptized,  anno  1769,  by 
Mr.  Samuel  Harris.  Illiterate  as  he  was,  he  immediate- 
ly commenced  publick  speaking.  When  he  first  made  a 
profession,  he  was  remarked  for  being  often  cast  down 
with  doubts  respecting  the  reality  of  his  conversion. 
This,  however,  did  not  hinder  him  from  making  great 
exertions,  first  as  an  exhorter  and  singer,  and  then  as  a 
preacher.  Having  exhorted  about  twelve  months,  his 
first  labours  were  laid  out  chiefly  in  the  county  of  his  na- 
tivity, and  the  adjacent  ones,  where  he  was  happily  in- 
strumental in  planting  and  watering  several  churches. 
After  about  three  years,  he  gave  up  all  worldly  cares, 
and  devoted  his  whole  time  to  preaching  and  other 
ministerial  duties.  About  1773,  he  began  to  stretch  his 
lines,  and  to  travel  more  extensively.  Coming  down 
into  the  lower  end  of  Henrico,  he,  in  conjunction  with 
one  or  two  others,  planted  Boar  Swamp  church.  Then, 
as  his  way  would  be  opened,  he  extended  his  labours  grad- 
ually downwards,  and  was  the  chief  instrument  in  plant- 
ing all  the  churches  in  the  counties  of  James  City,  Charles 
City,  York,  &c.  Then  crossing  over  York  river  into  Glou- 
cester, preached  in  the  lower  end  of  that  county  with  con- 
siderable success.  There  he  formed  acquaintance  with 
Mr.  Thomas  Elliot,  then  a  resident  of  Gloucester,  but 
who  had  not  long  before  moved  from  the  eastern  shore. 
Mr.  Elliot,  discovering  a  beauty  in  religion,  felt  his  heart's 
desire  that  his  brethren  in  the  flesh  might  be  saved. 
Accordingly  in  the  spring  of  1776,  they  set  sail,  and  arriv- 
ed on  the  eastern  shore  of  Virginia,  on  Easter  Sunday,  and 
went  immediately  to  church,  where  an  established  clergy- 
man was  that  day  to  preach  and  administer  the  sacrament. 
After  waiting  for  some  time,  and  finding  the  minister 
did  not  come,  Mr.  Baker  told  the  people  that  he.  would 
preach  for  them,  if  they  would  go  down  to  the  road. 


276  Biography  of  Elijah  Baker. 

The  novelty  of  the  scene  excited  their  attention,  and  the 
people  went.  Mr.  B.  had  no  other  pulpit  than  the  end 
of  a  large  tree  ;  which  having  mounted,  he  began  one 
of  the  most  successful  ministerial  labours  that  has  fallen 
to  the  lot  of  any  man  in  Virginia.  Many  wondered  ; 
some  mocked  ;  and  a  few  were  seriously  wrought  upon. 
He  continued  his  ministrations  from  house  to  house,  for 
several  days  ;  and  when  he  left  tl\em  he  appointed  to 
return  again  at  Whitsuntide.  At  his  second  visit,  he 
was  accompanied  by  his  brother  Leonard,  who  was  at 
that  time  only  an  exhorter.  When  they  arrived,  they 
were  informed  that  the  minister  of  the  parish  had  ap. 
pointed  to  preach  against  the  Baptists,  and  to  prove 
them  to  be  in  an  error.  Mr.  Baker  and  his  company 
went  to  hear  him  ;  but  his  arguments  proved  ineffectual, 
and  the  people  followed  Baker.  His  brother  continued 
with  him  about  a  week.  They  had  meetings  both  day 
and  night.  The  effects  were  not  remarkable  at  first, 
but  at  every  meeting  there  were  good  appearances.  This 
encouraged  Mr.  Baker  so  much,  that  he  resolved  to  re- 
main there  for  some  time  :  his  brother  left  him  labour- 
ing in  the  -vineyard.  His  labours  were  greatly  blessed. 
He  became  at  once  almost  a  resident ;  for,  indeed,  filled 
as  he  was  with  increasing  solicitude  for  the  prosperity 
of  the  gospel,  he  could  not  be  found  elsewhere  than  at 
the  places  where  he  had  evidences  that  God  called  him. 
After  he  married,  he  settled  in  Northampton  county. 

In  doing  so  much  good,  it  fell  to  Mr.  Baker's  portion, 
as  it  generally  happens,  to  give  offence  to  the  enemy  of 
souls  and  his  subordinate  agents.  They  put  him  into 
Accomack  prison,  and  kept  him  there  many  days.  The 
most  atrocious  attempt  upon  this  harmless  man,  was  that 
of  seizing  him  by  a  lawless  power  and  carrying  him  on 
board  of  a  vessel  in  the  adjacent  waters,  where  they  left 
him,  having  contracted  with  the  Captain  to  make  him 
work  his  passage  over  the  seas,  and  then  leave  him  in 
£ ome  of  the  countries  in  Europe  ;  alleging  that  he  was 
a  disturber  of  the  peace.  This  took  place  on  Saturday 
night.  He  was  immediately  put  to  work,  and  kept  at  it 
until  late  at  night.  The  next  day  being  the  Lord's  day, 
he  asked  and  obtained  leave  of  the  Captain  to  sing  and 
pray  among  the  crew.  The  Captain  attended,  and  was 


Biography  of  Elijah  Baker.  277 

convinced  that  he  was  a  good  man.  Without  delay,  he 
set  him  on  shore.  In  the  mean  time,  his  friends  had  dis- 
patched a  messenger  to  the  Governor,  to  obtain  author- 
ity to  prevent  his  being  carried  forcibly  away.  This  they 
obtained  ;  b.ut  Mr.  B.  was  discharged  before  his  return.* 
He  met  with  various  kinds  of  persecution,  which  only 
served  to  confirm  his  faith,  and  inflame  his  zeal  in  his 
Redeemer's  cause. 

Mr.  B.  was  a  man  of  low  parentage,  small  learning, 
and  confined  abilities.  But  with  one  talent  he  did  more 
than  many  do  with  five.  He  is  said  to  have  planted  ten 
churches  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the  Chesapeake  bay. 
At  the  last  Salisbury  Association,  which  he  attended  when 
nearly  worn  out  with  disease,  at  the  close  of  the  meeting, 
lie  addressed  the  audience  in  a  most  melting  and  power- 
ful manner ;  then  returning  to  Doctor  Lemon's,  soon 
died. 

He  had  declined  in  health  a  considerable  time  before 
his  death  ;  and  having  a  wish  to  see  his  brother  Leonard, 
of  Halifax,  Virginia,  to  whom  he  was  fondly  attached, 
he  wrote  him  a  letter  dated  September  21,  1798,  of  which 
the  following  is  an  extract : 

" And  now,  brother,  are  you  struggling  through 

the  trials  of  this  life,  leaning  upon  your  Beloved  ?  la- 
bouring, and  waiting  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
who  shall  change  our  vile  bodies  and  fashion  them  ac- 
cording to  his  glorious  body  ?  Or  have  you  got  into  a 
lukewarm  state,  which  I  fear  has  been  too  prevailing 


amongst  some 


"  Dear  brother,  some  of  my  complaints  are  such,  that 
I  do  not  expect  to  continue  long  in  this  world.  Howev- 
er, I  leave  that  to  my  dear  Redeemer,  who  has  the  pow- 
er of  life  and  death  in  his  own  hands.  But  in  all  proba- 
bility 1  shall  never  be  able  to  come  out  as  far  as  your 
house  again  :  dear  brother,  I  should  be  very  glad  to  see 
you,  if  you  could  make  it  convenient  to  come  over  once 
more,  while  I  live.  I  will  pay  all  your  expenses.  And 
if  our  dear  mother  is  yet  alive,  1  can  send  out  some  relief 


*  This  story  respef.tin;*  Mr.  Baker,  I  find  differently  related.    Sorr.e 

.•  considerably  of  tin- 
i>!e,  ar,d  j>nJ>ab/y  the  most 


rf  the  narrative,  as  some  have  given  it,  partake  ccmiderabiv  of  tl-e  mar- 
vellous ;  but  the  above  rc'utiei:  is  the  m<%>t  Dimple,  ar.tl  w 


correct.. 


278  Biography  of  Robert  Carter,  Esq. 

to  her.  As  to  religion,  thanks  be  to  God,  there  is  some 
stir  amongst  us.  I  have  baptized  eight  lately." 

It  seems  his  brother  could  not  go  immediately;  but 
started  in  a  few  weeks,  and  arrived  just  time  enough  to 
see  him  die  :  which  took  place,  November  (Jth,  1798. 

As  he  died  at  Doctor  Lemon's,  it  will  be  most  suitable 
to  quote  the  Doctor's  own  words  respecting  him.  "  In 
Mr.  Baker,  I  found  the  Israelite  indeed;  the  humble  Chris- 
tian ;  the  preacher  of  the  gospel  in  the  simplicity  of  it  ; 
and  the  triumphant  saint  in  his  last  moments.  In  his 
preaching  he  was  generally  plain  and  experimental,  al- 
ways very  express  on  the  doctrine  of  regeneration  ; 
never  entering  upon  the  doctrines  by  which  he  conceiv- 
ed he  should  give  offence  to  one  or  another.  In  his  last 
illness,  I  attended  his  bed-side  day  and  night,  for  three 
weeks,  and  had  many  most  agreeable  conversations  with 
him,  on  the  glorious  things  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ. 
He  retained  his  senses  to  the  last  minute,  and  s-eemed 
rather  translated,  than  to  suffer  pain  in  his  dissolution. 
Death  was  to  him  as  familiar  in  his  conversation,  as  if 
he  talked  of  an  absent  friend  from  whom  he  expected  a 
visit." 

He  was  twice  married.  His  first  wife  was  Sarah  Cope- 
land,  a  lady  of  respectable  connexions,  by  whom  he  had 
one  son,  now  living.  She  died,  and  he  then  married  a 
widow  lady  on  the  eastern  shore,  who  had  no  child  by 
him. 


ROBERT  CARTER,  Esq.  once  a  member  of  the  Vir- 
ginia Executive  Council,  and  on  that  account,  common- 
ly called  Counsellor  Carter,  was  baptized  by  Mr.  Luns- 
ford,  shortly  after  he  began  to  preach  in  these  parts. 
He  was  one  of  the  richest  men  in  the  State  of  Virginia, 
having,  as  some  say,  seven  or  eight  hundred  negroes, 
besides  immense  bodies  of  land,  &c.  After  being  bap- 
tized some  years,  he  became  conscientious  about  the 
lawfulness  of  hereditary  slavery.  In  a  letter  to  Mr.  Rip- 
pon  of  London,  he  says,  "  the  toleration  of  slavery  indi- 
cates very  great  depravity  of  mind.'*  In  conformity  to 
this  sentiment,  he  gradually  emancipated  the  whole  that 


Biography  of  James  Chiles.  279 

lie  possessed.*  This  was  a  noble  and  disinterested  sacri- 
fice. For  fourteen  or  fifteen  years  he  continued  an  or- 
derly Baptist.  But  being  a  man  naturally  of  an  unsta- 
ble disposition,  and  falling  in  with  certain  Arminian  wri- 
tings, he  fully  embraced  their  doctrines.  Had  he  stop- 
ped here,  he  might  still  have  continued  in  the  Baptist 
society,  though  not  so  happily  as  before.  But,  alas  [ 
there  are  so  many  wrong  roads  in  religious  pursuits,  that 
when  a  man  once  gets  wrong,  it  is  impossible  to  foresee 
where  he  will  stop.  From  the  Arminian  errors,  Mr. 
Carter  fell  into  the  chimerical  whims  of  Swedenborg, 
When  he  first  heard  of  the  books  of  that  singular  au- 
thor, he  made  very  light  of  them  ;  but  upon  reading 
them,  having  a  mind  naturally  fond  of  specious  novelty, 
he  fully  embraced  the  whole  of  that  absurd  system,  and 
was,  of  course,  excluded  from  the  Baptists.  He  was  now 
as  zealous  for  the  New- Jerusalem  church,  as  he  had  been 
formerly  for  the  Baptists.  He  moved  to  Baltimore,  in 
order  to  find  a  preacher  and  a  society  of  his  own  senti- 
ments, and  expended  large  sums  of  money  to  have  Swe- 
denborg's  writings  republished.  He  continued  orderly 
in  his  moral  conduct,  and  died  a  few  years  since,  after 
having  lived  to  a  considerable  age. 


JAMES  CHILES  appears  to  have  been  a  Virginian.  Be- 
fore he  embraced  religion,  having  a  sturdy  set  of  limbn 
and  a  resolute  spirit,  he  often  employed  them  in  bruis- 
ing his  countrymen's  faces.  Gambling  was  also  with 
him  a  favourite  employment.  But  God,  who  is  rich  ir* 
mercy,  plucked  him  as  a  brand  from  the  burning.  He 
gave  evidence  to  his  friends  that  his  heart  was  changed., 

*  "  It  is  said  that  Mr.  Robert  Cuvter  of  Nominy,  Virginia,  lias  emancipated 
442  slaves.  This  b>  a  sacrifice  on  the  altar  of  humanity  of  perhaps  an  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  It  this  be  true,  vote  him  a  triumph,  crown  him  with  laurels.,. 
•«ul  let  the  million  listen  while  he  sings — 

'  I  would  not  have  a  slave  to  till  my  ground, 

'  To  carry  me,  to  fan  me  while  I  sleep, 

'  And  tremble  when  I  wake,  for  all  the  wealth 

{  That  sinews  bought  and  sold  have  ever  earn'd. 

'  No :  dear  as  freedom  is,  and  in  inv  heart'* 

"Just  estimation  priz'd  above  all  price, 

'  I  had  much,  rather  be  MYSELF  the  slave, 

'  And  wear  the  bonds,  than  faster,  the*™  on  HIM." 

Rip/ion's  Register.. 


280  Biography  of  Joseph  Cook. 

but  from  his  oddities  he  was  never  converted.  He  was  ai 
member  of  the  first  Separate  Baptist  church  north  of 
James  River.  He  was  always  wrapped  up  in  visions,  and 
pretended  to  be  taught  of  God  how  any  matter  was  to 
eventuate.  It  happened,  however,  with  him,  as  with  the 
Trojan  prophetess,  that  if  he  had  the  gift  of  prophecy,  his 
cotemporaries  had  not  the  gift  of  faith.  But  notwithstand- 
ing all  his  imperfections,  his  success  as  a  preacher  was  great. 
He  was  the  first  instrument  of  planting  the  gospel  upon 
Blue  Run.  He  also  broke  the  way  into  Albeinarle., 
where  many  were  converted  by  his  means.  In  various  oth- 
er places,  God  set  seals  to  his  ministry.  After  a  few  years, 
he  moved  to  South-Carolina,  where  he  planted  a  large 
church.  He  retained  his  notions  about  visions  to  his  last. 
Report  says,  that  after  meeting  with  misfortunes,  and  be- 
ing reduced  in  his  property  and  health,  he  went  to  the 
house  of  a  woman,  and  told  her  that  his  God  said,  he 
must  die  there  that  day.  She  said,  "  I  hope  not,  Mr. 
Chiles."  "  Yes,"  said  he,  "  rny  God  says  so  :  but,  how- 
ever, I  will  return  a  while,  and  consult  my  God  again  !" 
He  retired  for  the  consultation,  and  returning  said,  "  Yes, 
madam,  my  God  says,  I  must  die  to-day."  The  woman 
again  expressed  doubts.  She  said,  "  You  look  too  well, 
Mr.  Chiles,  to  die  so  soon."  He  said,  "  I  will  try  my  God 
once  more."  After  retiring  for  some  time  in  prayer,  he 
came  back  and  said,  "  It  is  fixed  ;  the  decree  is  irrevoca- 
ble ;  to-day  I  must  die  in  your  house."  Having  so  said, 
he  stretched  himself  upon  the  bed,  and  yielded  up  the  ghost. 


JOSEPH  COOK. Mr.  Cook  was  born  of  pious  par- 
ents in  the  city  of  Bath,  Somersetshire,  England,  and  called 
by  divine  grace  in  the  early  part  of  life,  under  the  minis- 
try of  the  late  celebrated  and  much-esteemed  Rev.  George 
Whitefield,  at  the  chapel  of  the  late  Countess  Dowager  of 
Huntingdon,  at  Bath.  Mr.  Whitefield  was  exceedingly 
kind  to  him,  and  often  took  him  out  with  him  in  his 
carnage,  to  converse  with  him  about  divine  things.  As  he 
very  soon  gave  clear  evidence,  not  only  of  a  sound  conver- 
sion, but  also  that  he  had  ministerial  gifts,  Lady  Hunt- 
ingdon, who  had  a  great  regard  for  him,  which  continued 


Biography  of  Joseph  Cook.  281 

to  her  dying  day,  sent  him,  in  the  19th  year  of  his  age, 
to  her  college  at  Trevecka,  in  Brecknockshire,  South 
Wales.  Here  he  applied  himself  closely  to  his  studies, 
and  made  considerable  improvement.  He  was  much 
esteemed  by  his  tutors  and  fellow-students,  being  of  a 
good,  obliging  temper ;  but  what  most  endeared  him 
was  his  lively,  spiritual  turn  of  mind,  and  his  readiness 
to  help  and  comfort  any  who  were  in  trouble  of  soul. 
His  very  first  excursions  in  the  villages,  to  exercise  his 
gifts,  the  Lord  owned,  so  that  he  preached  with  accept- 
ance and  success. 

In  September  1771,  Lady  Huntingdon  received  a  sen- 
sible anonymous  letter,  requesting  her  to  send  a  minis- 
ter to  Margate,  in  the  Isle  of  Thanet,  describing  it  as  a 
licentious  place,  particularly  at  the  watering  season.  She 
made  known  the  contents  of  it  to  one  of  her  senior  stu- 
dents, Mr.  William  Aldridge,  and  gave  him  the  liberty 
of  choosing  any  student  he  pleased  in  the  college  to  ac- 
company and  assist  him  in  this  important  work.  He 
fixed  upon  Mr.  Cook,  who  cordially  approved  of  the 
design.  Preparations,  therefore,  were  made  for  the 
journey,  and  after  taking  an  affectionate  leave  of  all  at 
college,  attended  with  many  hearty  prayers  for  their 
safety  and  prosperity,  they  proceeded  to  the  place  of 
action.  Being  utterly  unknown  to  any  person  at  Mar- 
gate, they  began  to  preach  out  of  doors.  Many  attend- 
ed, and  not  in  vain.  Several  were  savingly  wrought 
upon,  and  turned  from  the  error  of  their  ways,  while 
old  professors  were  stirred  up,  who  seemed  to  have  been 
settled  upon  their  lees  ;  and  now  these  itinerants  preached 
not  only  at  Margate,  but  at  many  other  places  in  the 
Isle  of  Thanet. 

About  this  time,  many  persons  in  Dover,  not  satis* 
fied  with  Mr.  Wesley's  ministers  and  doctrine,  having 
left  his  meeting,  and  assembled  in  a  private  room  for 
exhortation  and  prayer,  sent  a  very  pressing  invitation 
to  Messrs.  Aldridge  and  Cook,  which  they  accepted. 
The  former  preached  at  Dover  for  the  first  time,  in  the 
market-place,  on  a  Sabbath-day,  but  met  with  great  op- 
position. A  Presbyterian  meeting-house,  which  had 
been  shut  up  for  a  considerable  time,  was  therefore 
procured  by  the  persons  who  had  given  them  the  invi- 

VOL.  2.  3$ 


282  Biography  of  Joseph  Cock. 

tation,  in  which  Mr.  Aldridge  and  his  colleague  ever 
afterwards  preached,  while  they  continued  at  Dover.  It 
now  agreed  on  by  all  parties,  that  Messrs.  Aldridge 
k  should  supply  Margate  and  Dover  constantly, 
and  change  every  week  ;  accordingly,  Mr.  Cook  came 
to  Dover,  and  preached  on  the  next  Tuesday  evening. 
His  first  text  was  Heb.  ii.  3,  "  How  shall  ive  escape^  if  we 
'~ct  so  great  salvation."  Many  attended,  and  were 
much  struck  at  the  sight  of  such  a  youth,  who  delivered 
his  discourse  extempore,  which  was  a  new  thing  to  most 
of  them.  This  bermon  was,  he  believes,  peculiarly- 
blessed  to  Mr.  Atwood,  now  one  of  the  Baptist  minis- 
ters, at  F .ilk-tone,  in  Kent,  so  that  he  was  obliged,  to 
say,  "  Here  is  a  man  that  has  told  me  all  things  that 
ever  I  did  :  surely  he  is  a  servant  of  Christ."  Mr.  Cook 
continued  to  supply  Dover,  in  his  turn,  for  some  time, 
and  was  remarkably  useful  in  winning  souls  to  Christ. 

>  o 

Mr.  Cook  and  Mr.  Aldridge  occasionally  preached  also  at 
Deal ;  and  at  Falkstone  their  word  was  signally  blessed 
to  many,  several  of  whom  afterwards  joined  the  Baptist 
interest,  and  one  of  them  became  a  Deacon  in  Mr.  At- 
wood's  church. 

Two  years  after,  the  students  were  called  in  from  all 
parts  of  the  country  to  the  college  in  Wales,  to  form  a 
mission  for  North- America,  as  very  pleasing  and  en- 
couraging letters  had  been  received  by  Lady  Huntingdon, 
desiring  her  to  send  faithful  and  zealous  ministers  thither. 
She  therefore  willingly  entered  into  the  plan,  laying  the 
v.  hole  of  it  before  the  students,  with  her  earnest  request 
that  they  would  take  the  same  into  mature  consideration, 
and  especially  make  it  matter  of  prayer ;  and  that  then, 
those  who  saw  their  way  clear  to  go,  would  declare  it. 
At  length,  Mr.  Cook,  with  others,  freely  offered  them- 
selves for  this  service,  came  up  to  London,  and  related 
their  views  of  this  work  before  many  thousands  in  the 
Tabernacle,  Moorfields,  and  elsewhere  ;  an  account  of 
which  was  printed.  After  taking  a  very  affecting  fare- 
well, they  embarked  for  America,  with  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Percy,  who  •  afterwards  returned,  and  had  a  meeting- 
house,  at  Woolwich,  in  Kent.  However,  the  ship  was 
detained  in  the  Downs  by  a  contrary  wind.  Mr.  Cook, 
being  so  near,  wished  to  see  his  friends  at  Dover  ones 


Biography  of  Joseph  Cook.  283 

more.  He  went  therefore  unexpectedly;  and  preached 
a  lecture,  which  was  remarkably  owned.  Several  of  his 
fellow-students  also  went  the  next  Sabbath  to  Dover  to 
preach.  A  fair  and  brisk  gale  sprung  up  in  the  night  ; 
the  ship  sailed,  and  they  were  all  left  behind.  T«vo  of 
them  remained  in  England,  Mr.  Henry  Mead,  a  minister 
now  belonging  to  the  establishment,  in  London,  and 
Mr.  William  White,  since  deceased.  Mr.  Cook,  with 
the  rest,  were  yet  determined  on  the  voyage,  and  prose- 
cuted the  plan.  On  their  arrival  in  America,  as  they 
had  all  preached  in  England,  and  considered  themselves 
authorized  to  do  so  on  their  general  plan,  they  travelled 
about  the  country,  and  preached  with  much  acceptance 
among  serious  Christians  of  different  denominations,  but 
particularly  among  the  Baptists,  whom  they  found  in  a 
lively  state  of  religion  at  that  time.  Though  these  stu- 
dents, were  commonly  considered  as  belonging  to  the 
Episcopal  church,  then  the  established  religion  of  the 
Southern  colonies,  and  seemed  fond  to  keep  up  this  idea 
among  the  populace,  yet  they  generally  appeared  pleased 
with  the  company  and  conversation  of  the  Baptists  ; 
and  the  most  of  them  gave  it  to  be  understood,  that  they 
had  received  convictions  respecting  the  justice  and  pro- 
priety of  the  Baptists'  distinguishing  sentiments,  which, 
by  one  or  two  of  the  students,  was  represented  to  have 
arisen  from  the  introduction  of  a  young  man  of  Baptist 
principles  into  the  Countess's  Seminary  at  Wales,  whose 
arguments  had  made  so  great  an  impression  on  the 
minds  of  the  students,  that  her  Ladyship  thought  proper 
to  discard  him.  Mr.  Cook,  however,  kept  himself 
considerably  reserved,  and  more  at  a  distance  from  the 
Baptist  churches  than  the  rest.  Messrs.  Hill  and  Cosson, 
after  fully  professing  Baptist  sentiments,  in  their  conver- 
sation among  the  Baptists,  joined  the  Presbyterians. 
Mr.  Roberts,  who  had  professed  the  same  in  a  letter  to 
one  of  the  Baptist  ministers,  united  himself  with  a  re- 
spectable congregation  of  Independents  in  Georgia  ;  and, 
on  some  misunderstanding  arising,  left  off  preaching,  took 
a  commission  in  the  army,  rose  to  the  rank  of  Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel, and  died.  Mr.  Lewis  Richards  for  a  while 
suppressed  his  convictions,  and  engaged  in  a  parish,  as 
candidate  for  the  rector&hip,  but  some  time  after  united 


284  Biography  of  Joseph  Cook. 

himself  to  the  Baptist  church  at  the  High  Hills  of  San- 
tee,  was  baptized  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Furman,  and  is  now 
pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Baltimore,  Maryland. 

Mr.  Cook  had  obtained  the  office  of  a  parish,  but  on 
his  marriage  with  a  young  lady,  Miss  Elizabeth  Bulline, 
of  Baptist  parents,  then  dead,  at  the  village  of  Dorches- 
ter, about  eighteen  miles  from  Charleston,  he  deter- 
mined to  settle  there,  and  preach  to  a  mixed  people  :  in 
respect  of  religious  profession,  a  great  part  of  them  were, 
and  are  Episcopalians ;  a  number,  the  posterity  of  a 
Baptist  church,  which  has  become  extinct,  that  once 
flourished  under  the  ministry  of  the  Rev.  Isaac  Chanler, 
a  pious  and  eminent  divine  ;  and  the  remains  of  an  Inde- 
pendent congregation,  removed  to  Georgia,  the  same 
mentioned  above,  to  which  Mr.  Roberts  had  united. 
With  the  latter,  Mr.  Cook  formed  his  closest  connexion, 
preaching  ordinarily  in  the  place  of  worship  belonging 
to  them.  The  dispute  between  Britain  and  the  Colonies 
was  now  become  very  serious  ;  the  sword  was  drawn  j 
blood  had  begun  to  deluge  the  field  of  battle,  and  a  gen- 
eral concern  for  religious  as  well  as  civil  liberty,  possess- 
ed the  breasts  of  the  Americans.  A  temporary  form  of 
government,  agreed  on  by  South-Carolina,  while  a  recon- 
ciliation to  Britain  on  equitable  principles  was  hoped  for, 
had  continued  the  partial  establishment,  and  legal  sup- 
port of  the  Church  of  England.  This  convinced  the  Dis- 
senters of  the  necessity  of  uniting  and  making  vigorous 
exertions  for  obtaining  the  equal  enjoyment  of  all  the 
privileges  proper  to  a  free  people.  For  they  now  saw, 
that  the  Episcopalians,  who  generally  possessed  the  most 
conspicuous  stations,  with  their  usual  appendages  of 
wealth  and  influence,  while  they  declaimed  against  the 
unconstitutional  claims  of  Britain,  and  were  very  fond 
of  receiving  the  assistance  of  their  dissenting  brethren 
in  the  national  struggle,  were  determined  to  secure  to 
themselves  every  exclusive  and  partial  advantage  in  their 
power.  An  invitation  was  now  given  to  ministers  and 
ch'^he:  cf  ^inous  denominations,  but  principally  to  the 
Baptists,  amon^  .  '.<  ni  the  business  originated,  to  meet 
at  the  High  Hills  of  b^ntee,  at  the  seat  of  the  Baptist 
church  there,  which  is  nearly  the  centre  of  the  State, 
tq  consult  their  general  interests.  To  this  meetings 


Biography  of  Joseph  Cook.  285 

which  was  held  early  in  1776,  came  Mr.  Cook,  with  two 
other  of  the  young  gentlemen  mentioned  above,  and 
continued  there  to  the  next  Sabbath,  after  the  business 
was  concluded,  which  being  the  season  for  the  adminis- 
tration of  the  Lord's  supper  in  that  church,  divine  wor- 
ship was  publickly  attended  on  the  two  preceding  days. 
On  Saturday,  Mr.  Cook  had  an  invitation  to  preach  ;  and 
a  little  before  service  began,  he  took  aside  Mr.  Hart,  the 
minister  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Charleston,  who  had 
staid  to  assist  at  the  solemnity,  and  Mr.  Furman,  the  pas- 
tor of  the  church  at  Santee,  who  was  then  very  young 
in  the  ministry,  and  has  since  succeeded  Mr.  Hart  in 
Charleston,  requesting  their  advice  on  a  matter  under 
which  his  mind  laboured.  They  were  informed  by  him, 
that  he  had,  for  a  considerable  time,  felt  strong  convic- 
tions respecting  the  propriety  of  believers*  baptism,  and 
its  necessity  in  order  to  a  universal  obedience  of  Christ, 
in  a  becoming  manner.  That  he  had  endeavoured  to 
silence  his  conscience,  and  avoid  the  means  of  convic- 
tion, during  a  great  part  of  the  time  ;  but  that  of  late 
he  had  felt  such  guilt  and  shame  in  reflecting  on  his  past 
conduct,  as  compelled  him  to  a  serious  consideration  of 
the  subject,  with  a  full  determination  of  heart  to  do 
whatever  appeared  to  be  the  will  of  God  ;  and  that  the 
result  of  this  investigation  was  the  most  satisfactory  ev- 
idence in  favour  of  what  he  had  so  long  thought  his 
duty.  This,  with  the  forcible  application  to  his  mind, 
of  Ananias's  address  to  Paul,  "  And  now,  why  tarriest 
thou  ?  Arise,  and  be  baptized,  and  wash  away  thy  sins, 
calling  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord,"  made  him  anxious 
to  comply  with  his  duty  without  delay,  especially  as  a  fa- 
vourable opportunity  then  offered.  "  I  have  only  to  add, 
gentlemen,"  concluded  he,  "  that  I  should  be  glad  of 
your  advice,  whether  to  embrace  the  ordinance  imme- 
diately, or  defer  it  to  be  administered  among  the  people 
where  1  live  ;  and  if  I  submit  to  it  immediately,  seeing 
my  sentiments  and  intention  have  been  hitherto  un- 
known to  the  publick,  whether  it  would  be  proper  to 
make  Ananias's  address  to  St.  Paul,  just  now  mentioned, 
and  from  which  1  have  felt  so  much  conviction,  the 
subject  of  the  discourse  I  am  about  to  deliver,  and  just 
•n  the  light  I  now  behold  it,  as  it  applies  to  myself?  This, 


286  Biography  of  Joseph  Cook. 

I  confess,  is  the  dictate  of  my  own  mind,  and  I  would 
not  wish  to  act  unadvisedly." 

The  ministers  were  both  of  opinion,  that  it  would  be 
best  not  to  delay  the  administration,  and  that  it  was 
proper  he  should  follow  the  dictate  of  his  mind  respect- 
ing the  subject,  and  method  of  preaching  proposed. 
He  preached  accordingly  to  the  surprise  and  conviction 
of  many,  and  was  the  next  day  baptized  by  the  pastor 
of  that  church,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Furman,  after  satisfying  the 
church  respecting  his  acquaintance  with  experimental 
religion  ;  and  on  farther  consideration,  having  enjoyed 
hi-  visits  before,  and  being  fully  satisfied  with  his  min- 
isterial qualifications,  they  began  to  contemplate  his 
ordination.  He  was  accordingly  ordained  a  few  days 
after  by  Mr.  Hart  and  Mr.  Furman.  A  vacancy  having 
taken  pl?.ce  in  the  church  of  Euhaw,  by  the  death  of  an 
excellent  divine,  the  Rev.  Francis  Pelot,  Mr.  Cook  soon 
received  a  call  to  take  the  pastoral  care  of  it,  which  he 
accepted,  and  preached  there  without  interruption  for 
some  time  ;  but  the  invasion  of  the  Srate  taking  place, 
and  his  exposed  situation,  near  the  sea-coast,  having 
already  subjected  him  to  losses  and  distress,  he  removed 
to  an  interior  part  of  the  country,  where  he  continued 
to  the  conclusion  of  the  war,  but  suffered  anew  in  the 
ravages  of  the  State  by  the  troops  under  Lord  Cornwal- 
lis  and  other  commanders ;  so  that  when  he  returned  to 
the  Euhaw,  on  the  commencement  of  the  peace,  he  was 
reduced  to  a  state  of  poverty.  Previous  to  his  leaving 
Euhaw,  he  had  lost  his  first  wife,  and  married  a  second  ; 
some  circumstances  attending  this  marriage,  gave  dis- 
pleasure to  a  number  of  his  friends,  and  himself  acknowl- 
edged he  was  chargeable  with  imprudence  in  the  trans- 
action, for  which  he  was  sorry. 

Hitherto  nothing  very  considerable  had  appeared  in 
Mr.  Cook's  ministry  in  America,  towards  promoting 
the  kingdom  of  Christ  ;  but  on  his  return  to  his  church, 
having  passed  through  some  humbling  scenes,  and  enter- 
ing more  fully  into  the  gospel  spirit,  he  laboured  wilh 
much  success.  The  church  had  been  greatly  reduced 
before  he  took  charge  of  it,  and  at  his  return  was  almost 
become  extinct ;  yet- it  pleased  God,  by  his  ministry  to 
add  a  pleasing  number  to  it  in  a  few  years.  The  account 


Biography  of  Joseph  Cook.  287 

of  additions,  by  baptism,  presented  to  the  Association, 
for  the  five  last  years  of  his  life,  was  78  ;  many  of  these 
are  persons  of  real  worth  and  respectability. 

In  the  September  of  179O,  he  wrote  a  letter  to  Mr. 
Rippon,  of  London,  in  which  he  gave  a  pleasing  account 
of  the  believing  Negro  church  at  Savannah,  and  then  ad- 
ded, "  My  sphere  of  action  is  great,  having  two  congre- 
gations to  regard,  at  a  considerable  distance  from  each 
other,  exclusive  of  this  where  I  reside  ;  as,  also,  friendly 
visits  to  pay  to  sister  churches,  and  societies  of  other  de- 
nominations, who  are  destitute  of  ministers,  frequently 
riding  under  a  scorching  sun,  with  a  fever,  twenty  miles 
in  a  morning,  and  then  preach  afterwards.  Our  breth- 
ren in  England,  have  scarcely  an  idea  of  what  hardships 
we  struggle  with,  who  travel  to  propagate  the  gospel.  I 
have  been  in  a  very  poor  state  of  health  for  two  months, 
but  it  has  not  prevented  an  attention  to  the  duties  of  my 
station.  O,  what  a  blessing  is  health  !  We  cannot  be 
too  thankful  for  it." 

This  good  man  had  now  almost  finished  his  course. 
The  circumstances  of  his  dissolution  may  be  collected 
from  a  letter,  written  by  one  of  his  dear  friends,  of  which 
the  following  is  an  extract  : 

To  the  Rev.  Mr.  Rippon,  London. 

Euhaw,  South-Carolina,  Oct.  4,  17CO. 
Rev.  Sir, 

I  could  have  wished  a  more  agreeable  event  than  the  present  hud  been  the 
occasion  of  my  address  to  yen ;  but,  when  I  consider  I  am  fnitilliiig  tiie  pr.;iu- 
ise  made  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Cook,  of  this  place,  now  with  Gi,d,it  scums  toarK.rd 
a  kind  of  melancholy  pleasure.  About  ten  weeks  before  his  decease,  lie  10- 
turned  in  the  middle  of  a  sultry  day,  from  preaching  to  a  congregation,  about 
twenty  nnics  from  hence,  complaining  of  feverish  symptoms,  With  a  dry  coi.i;!;, 
a  tightness  of  the  breast,  and  great  lassitude ;  notwithstanding  which,  he  re- 
laxed not  his  labours.  Jn  this  state  lie  continued,  till  two  weeks  befc.;  K  h:s  exit, 
when  he  delivered  his  last  sernon  irom  Epb.  i.  6.  To  (he  /mtise  of  the  glory 
of  Ids  grace,  ioh<rcin  he  hath  made  ua  uwfUcd  in  the  bcfovcd.  Ik-  was  then 
so  \veak,  that  I  reared  he  would  not  be  able  to  proceed,  but  he  was  greatly  sup- 
ported, and  much  engaged.  He  reminded  the  congrc-^ati:):!  of  the  truths  lie 
nad  taught,  assured  them  he  felt  acquitted  of  die  blood  of  all  men,  having  iuiiy 
declared  the  counsel  of  God  in  his  ministry.  He  pathetically  addressed  him- 
self to  his  hearers  of  every  ,;ge,  rank  and  station,  confident,  as  lie  told  them,  uiat 
this  was  to  be  the  last  sermon  they  were  ever  to  hear  from  him  ;  and  tlien  o  ,a- 
cluded  with  a  solemn  farewell.  The  succeeding  Sabbath  lie  was  to  huvu 
preached  on  St.  Helena  Island. 

On  Thursday  following,  the  symptoms  began  to  b?  so  alarming,  that  I  : 
he  could  net  continue  long.    He  desired  me  t;>  read  to  him  the  .JJ-kh  in.  run  In 
your  Selection,  entitled,    The    Christian  rerr.L 

has  led  him.  Some  time  after,  he  assured  me,  he  died  in  the  firm  beik-i'  o;  tiis 
doctrines  he.  had,  preached,  and  requested  I  would  write  to  k:  .  iVIi-nds  ia 
England.  He  sent  for  Mr.  Beater,  aji  amiable  man,  and  DUU.COU  01  his  cuu . : 


288  Biography  of  Joseph  Cook. 

since  dead,  and  consulted  with  him  about  the  interests  of  the  church,  particu 
larly  about  obtaining  a  successor  to  the  pastoral  office  ;  and  as  the  following 
Sabbath  was  the  sacramental  season,  when  he  was  assured  the  ordinance 
would  be  administered  by  his  brethren  in  the  ministry,  who  were  to  be  present 
on  the  occasion,  he  said,  "  Next  Sabbath,  when  you  are  feasting  below,  I  shall 
be  at  the  banquet  above."  He  fixed  on  the  place  of  his  interment,  and  re- 
quested tint  the  Rev.  Mr.  (now  Dr.)  Furman,  of  Charleston,  shnuld  be  de- 
sired to  preach  his  funeral  sermon  trom  2dTim.  i.  12.  For  I  know  whom  I 
have  believed,  and  I  urn  Jierxuaded  that  he  is  able  to  kecft  that  which  I  have 
committed  unto  him  against  that  day.  From  this  time  he  inclined  to  be  silent, 
and  seemed  engaged  in  secret  prayer.  On  Friday  was  rather  easier ;  and  uu 
Saturday  morning,  he  joined  in  prayer  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  (now  Dr.)  Holcombe, 
of  Philadelphia,  who  came  to  assist  at  an  ordination.  About  noon  he  grew 
worse.  Dr.  Mosse,  one  of  the  members  of  his  church,  who  attended  him  iu  the 
last  stages  of  his  illness,  writes  thus,  in  a  letter  to  a  friend,  concerning  the  last 
day  of  Mr.  Cook's  life  :  "  Mr.  Cook  appeared  to  me  to  have  a  heart  fully  re- 
signed to  the  will  of  God  ;  some  time  before  his  death,  he  told  me,  that  his 
whole  hope  of  eternal  salvation  was  built  on  the  sure  foundation-stone,  Jesus 
Christ ;  but  I  do  not  feel,  said  he,  that  great  comfort  and  joy  I  have  often  ex- 
perienced, and  which  I  felt  twelve  or  fourteen  days  ago,  as  noted  in  my  diary." 
Visible  tokens  of  dissolution  inducing  a  friend  to  ask  if  he  should  pray  with 
him,  he  gave  assent,  and,  at  the  conclusion,  audibly  said,  AM  EN  ;  after  which, 
he  spoke  no  more  intelligibly,  but  continued  struggling  with  the  last  enemy  till 
half  past  three,  Lord's  day  morning,  Sept.  26,  1790 ;  when  he  was  released 
from  all  his  labours,  leaving  a  disconsolate  widow  under  great  affliction  ;  an 
only  child,  a  son  by  his  first  wife,  about  15  years  of  age,  in  whom  all  his  earthly 
hopes  seemed  to  centre,  as  he  possesses  a  love  of  religion,  with  a  thirst  for 
learning,*  and  a  church,  almost  every  member  of  which  looked  to  him  as  a 
common  father  in  Christ.  His  remains  were  interred  the  same  evening,  im- 
mediately after  the  administration  of  the  sacrament,  when  a  very  tender  and 
animated  exhortation,  to  an  audience  dissolved  in  tears,  was  delivered  at  the 
grave  by  Dr.  Holcombe,  who  succeeded  him  in  the  charge  of  the  church. 
The  funeral  sermon,  by  Dr.  Furman,  was  not  delivered  for  a  considerable  time 
after,  owing  partly  to  the  distance  of  80  miles,  and  partly  to  several  unavoid- 
able hindrances.  Mrs.  Cook  survived  her  husband  but  a  few  weeks,  being  ta- 
ken off  by  a  short  and  severe  illness.  Mr.  Cook  was  of  a  middle  stature,  and 
slender  make,  but  had  acquired  a  degree  of  corpulency  a  few  years  before  his 
death.  His  mental  powers  were  good,  and  had  received  improvement  by  an 
acquaintance  with  the  liberal  arts  and  sciences,  though  his  education  had  not 
been  completed.  His  conversation  was  free  and  engaging.  As  a  preacher  he 
was  zealous,  orthodox,  and  experimental.  He  spoke  with  animation  and  much 
fervour  ;  though  his  talent  lay  so  much  in  the  persuasive,  that  at  the  end  of 
his  sermon  he.  frequently  left  the  audience  in  tears.  He  was  taken  from  his 
labours  at  a  time  when  his  character  had  arisen  to  considerable  eminence,  and 
a  spacious  field  of  usefulness  was  opening  all  around  him,  and  at  a  time  when 
he- was  greatly  endeared  to  his  people.  He  was  a  little  iu  advance  of  40  years 
at  the  time  ot  his  death. 

This  account  of  Mr.  Cook  is  found  in  ffifi/ion's  Register,  from  which  it  has 
been  cofried,  with  little  variation.  Some  ejc/iressio?is  which  regard  affairs 
in  America  have,  been  altered,  to  make  the  narrative  conform  to  the  present 
time.  What  changes  have  taken  filace  in  the  persons  and  events  described  in 
England,  lam  not  able  to  state, only  that  Mr.  Percy,  who  went  back  to  En- 
gland, is  I  conclude  the  name  person  who  is  now  an  Ejiiscofial  minister  in 
Charleston,  South- Carolina. 

*  This  son,  Joseph  B  Cook,  was  afterwards  educated  at  Pi  evidence  College,  R.  L 
and  is  now  a  respectable  minister  in  South-Carolina. 


Biography  of  Lemuel  Ccvel.  289 

LEMUEL  COVEL  was,  it  is  believed,  a  native  of  the 
State  of  New-York  j  he  was  sent  out  into  the  ministry 
by  the  church  in  Providence,  Saratoga  county,  thirty  or 
forty  miles  above  Albany.  He  commenced  his  ministe- 
rial labours  under  great  disadvantages,  being  both  poor 
and  illiterate  ;  and  most  of  his  life  was  spent  under  the 
pressure  of  poverty  and  worldly  embarrassments.  But 
notwithstanding  he  was  obliged  to  labour  almost  con- 
stantly for  his  support,  such  were  the  astonishing  pow- 
ers of  his  mind,  that  he  became  one  of  the  most  distin- 
guished preachers  in  the  Baptist  connexion.  His  talents 
were  far  above  mediocrity,  his  voice  was  clear  and  ma- 
jestick,  and  his  address  was  manly  and  engaging.  The 
doctrine  of  salvation  by  the  cross,  was  the  grand  theme 
on  which  he  dwelt  with  peculiar  pleasure ;  and  his  preach- 
ing was  of  the  most  solid,  perspicuous,  and  interesting 
kind.  He  lived  the  religion  he  professed,  and  exempli- 
fied by  his  conduct  the  rules  he  laid  down  for  others. 
As  an  itinerant  preacher,  his  zeal  and  success  were  equal- 
led by  few ;  and  perhaps  exceeded  by  none  among  the 
American  preachers.  Missionary  concerns  lay  near  his 
heart ;  and  in  every  thing  pertaining  to  them,  he  seems 
to  have  been  a  kindred  spirit  to  the  famous  Pearce  of 
Birmingham.  He  travelled  much  among  the  churches 
in  New- York  and  New-England,  and  had  often  explored 
new  and  destitute  regions.  A  little  while  before  his 
death,  the  church  in  Cheshire,  with  which  John  Leland 
is  connected,  had  settled  him  as  their  pastor,  had  assum- 
ed the  debts  in  which  misfortunes  had  involved  him, 
and  his  prospects  for  comfort  and  usefulness  were  never 
greater.  As  he  was  much  inclined  to  travel,  the  church 
had  settled  him  under  the  expectation,  that  he  would  be 
with  them  but  a  part  of  the  time,  and  the  Missionary 
Society  of  Boston  most  gladly  afforded  him  their  patron- 
age what,  time  he  wished  to  itinerate.  Dark  and  mys- 
terious indeed  was  that  providence,  which  cut  off,  in  the 
meridian  of  life,  and  in  the  midst  of  usefulness,  this  wor- 
thy man.  His  constitution,  naturally  slender,  had  been 
much  impaired  by  frequent  attacks  of  disease,  and  by 
his  too  extensive  labours  of  various  kinds ;  and  while 
travelling  as  a  missionary  in  Upper  Canada,  in  October, 

VOL.  2.  37 


29O  Biography  of  Lemuel  Covel. 

1806,  he,  after  a  short  illness,  finished  his  earthly  course. 
Elders  Elkanah  Holmes  and  David  Irish  were,  at  that 
time,  engaged  in  the  same  field  of  missionary  labours  ; 
the  last  of  whom  thus  describes  the  mournful  event  of 
Mr.  Covel's  death. 

"  At  this  meeting,  (that  is,  at  Charlotteville)  I  heard 
that  my  dear  brother  Covel  was  dangerously  ill.  E 
therefore  concluded  to  leave  them,  and  go  and  see  him, 
and  then  return  again.  The  attention  appeared  so  great 
in  many  places,  that  I  could  not  believe  it  to  be  my  duty 
to  leave  them  yet.  Accordingly,  on  Wednesday  I  set 
out,  accompanied  by  two  brethren.  We  were  at  this 
time  GO  miles  from  the  place  where  brother  Covel  was 
sick.  We  rode  until  we  came  within  about  20  miles, 
when  we  heard  he  was  dead  and  buried  !  Oh,  how  my 
poor  heart  felt !  I  was  left  among  strangers  almost  30O- 
miles  from  home,  and  one  of  the  most  dear  and  intimate 
friends  I  ever  had,  taken  away  in  such  an  unexpected 
time !  But  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  has  and  will  do* 
ripht.  Brother  Covel  had  done  his  work,  and  went  off  in 
the  triumphs  of  faith.  We  came  to  the  place  the  next 

Tiring,  and  found  Elder  Holmes  preaching  his  funeral 
sermon,  and  a  solemn  time  it  was.  After  sermon  we 
attended  to  settling  brother  CbvePs  business,  and  the 
next  day  set  cut  to  return  to  Townsend,  where  we  ar- 
rived the  day  following,  and  found  the  church  met 
together  ;  and  when  we  informed  them  of  the  death  of 
brother  Covel,  the  whole  assembly  appeared  to  be  most 
deeply  affected.  It  appears  that  this  church  was  mostly 
the  rVuit  of  his  labours  in  his  former  visits.  When  he 
\viis  \v'vh  them  last  year,  he  assisted  in  their  constitution. 
I  think  I  may  truly  say,  that  there  has  never  been  any 
preacher  in  these  parts  more  highly  and  more  universal- 
ly esteemed  than  he  was  ^  and  a  greater  and  more  uni- 
versal lamentation  I  never  heard  in  any  place  for  any. 
man,  than  in  Upper  Canada  for  him.  But  alas  !  he  is 
gone.  May  God  grant,  that  like  Samson,  he  may  slay 
more  at  his  death  than  he  has  done  in  all  his  life.  Some 
of  the  church  in  Xownsend,  in  their  lamentation,  would 
break  their  silence  and  cry  out,  "  O,  my  father  in  the 
gospel  !"  "  O  that  blessed  minister  of  Christ,  who  was 
used  as  God's  instrument  to  open  my  eyes — shall  I  never 


'Biography  of  Elijah  Craig.  291 

see  him  again  in  this  world  !"  We  then  joined  and 
sang  the  third  hymn  of  the  second  berk  of  Dr.  Watts, 
and  concluded  the  opportunity  in  prayer  to  Almighty 
God,  that  he  would  sanctify  this  dispensation  to  the 
good  of  many  precious  souls." 

Mr.  Covel   left  a  widow  and  five  children  to  mourn 
his  loss. 


ELIJAH  CRAIG  was  one  of  the  first  converts  to  the 
Baptist  preaching  in  Virginia.  When  Mr.  Samuel  Harris 
came  and  preached  an  experience  of  grace  in  Pittsylvania, 
he  found  his  heart  could  testify  to  the  truth  of  it,  having 
some  time  previously  experienced  a  change,  which  he  had 
not  viewed  as  conversion,  but  only  the  encouragement 
of  Heaven  to  go  on  to  seek.  He  was  now  so  strengthen- 
ed, that,  in  conjunction  with  certain  young  converts  in 
his  neighbourhood,  who  were  of  the  Regular  Baptists,  he 
undertook  to  exhort,  &c.  and  to  hold  little  meetings  in 
the  neighbourhood.  His  tobacco-house  was  their  chapel. 
Being  most  of  them  labouring  men,  they  used  to  labour 
all  day,  and  hold  meetings  almost  every  night,  at  each 
other's  houses,  and  on  Sundays  at  the  above-mentioned 
tobacco-house.  By  these  little  prayer  and  exhortation 
meetings,  great  numbers  were  awakened  and  several 
converted. 

Mr.  Craig  was  one  of  the  constituents  of  the  Upper 
Spottsylvania  church  ;  he  was  also  one  of  those  who  were 
afterwards  dismissed  from  it,  to  form  the  church  on  Blue 
Run,  over  which  he  was  soon  afterwards  ordained  pastor. 
He  was  certainly  a  great  blessing  to  Blue  Run  church  ; 
for  under  his  care  they  flourished.  He  was  accounted  a 
preacher  of  considerable  talents  for  that  day  ;  which, 
united  to  his  zeal,  honoured  him  with  the  attention  of  his 
persecutors.  They  sent  the  sheriff  and  posse  after  him, 
when  at  his  plough.  He  was  taken  and  carried  before 
three  magistrates  of  Culpepper.  They,  without  hearing 
arguments,  pro  or  con,  ordered  him  to  jail.  At  court,  he, 
with  others,  was  arraigned.  One  of  the  lawyers  told 
the  Court,  they  had  better  discharge  them  ;  for  that  op- 
pressing them,  would  rather  advance  than  retard  them. 


292  Biography  of  Elijah  Craig. 

He  said,  they  were  like  a  bed  of  camomile  ;  the  more 
they  were  trod,  the  more  they  would  spread.  The  Court 
thought  otherwise,  and  were  determined  to  imprison 
them.  Sonie  of  the  Court  were  of  opinion,  that  they 
ought  to  be  confined  in  a  close  dungeon  ;  but  the  major- 
ity wt-re  for  giving  them  the  bounds.  After  staying 
there  one  month,  preaching  to  all  who  came,  he  gave 
bond  for  good  behaviour,  and  came  out.  He  was  also  con- 
fine, i  '>ange  jail,  at  another  time.  He  was  a  preacher 
of  usef nines.?  for  many  years  after  he  commenced  ;  but 
finally  falling  too  much  into  land  speculations,  his  min- 
istry was  p;reatly  hindered.  In  1786,  he  moved  to  Ken- 
tucky, where,  continuing  his  land  speculations,  that  bewil- 
dering pursuit,  which  has  ruined  the  reputation  and  use* 
fulness  of  so  many  in  Kentucky  and  elsewhere,  he  became 
obnoxious  to  the  church,  and  was  excommunicated  1791. 
How  long  he  stayed  out,  is  not  known.  He  was,  how- 
ever, restored  ;  and  continued  in  the  church  until  the 
year  1 8O8,  when  he  died. 

He  was  naturally  of  a  censorious  temper  ;  and  always 
seemed  better  pleased  to  find  out  the  faults  than  the  vir- 
tues of  mankind.  This,  however,  so  long  as  he  was  warm 
in  religion,  was  checked  by  a  superior  principle  ;  but 
after  he  declined  in  his  religious  exercises,  and  became  a 
land  speculator,  he  could  seldom  be  pleased.  As  good  a 
proof  as  any  that  can  be  named,  of  this  peevish  temper, 
may  be  gathered  from  two  pamphlets,  his  only  writings 
that  have  ever  been  published.  In  the  one,  he  under- 
takes to  prove  that  stationed  preachers  or  pastors  of 
churches,  are  precluded,  by  the  Scriptures,  from  receiv- 
jng  any  compensation  for  their  services.  In  this  pam- 
phlet, he  takes  so  many  opportunities  to  condemn  preach- 
ers for  being  money-seekers,  that  it  would  seem  the  main 
design  of  the  publication  was,  to  indulge  a  fault-finding 
temper.  The  maintaining  of  such  a  sentiment  was  cen- 
surable, because  it  is  contrary  to  Scripture  and  reason ; 
and  it  was  certainly  ridiculous  to  advance  it  in  Kentucky, 
where  preachers  are  so  much  and  so  generally  neglected 
by  the  churches.  A  person,  acquainted  with  the  negli- 
gent spirit  and  parsimonious  maxims  of  the  Kentucky 
Baptists,  in  viewing  the  title-page  of  this  pamphlet,  would 
be  led  to  think  that  the  author  intended  ironically  to  re» 


Biography  of  Samuel  Ecclcs.  203 

prove  the  churches,  rather  than  to  censure  the  avarice  of 
their  ministers.  His  other  pamphlet  was  a  personal  phi- 
lippic against  Jacob  Creath,  on  account  of  some  private 
dispute  between  Creath  and  a  Mr.  Lewis ;  the  former  the 
pastor,  and  the  latter  one  of  the  principal  members  of  the 
Town-Fork  church,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Lexington. 
Without  saying  any  thing  about  the  merits  of  the  case,  or 
the  provocation  given  by  Mr.  Creath,  candour  compels  us 
to  say,  that  no  provocation  can  justify  the  style  of  this 
pamphlet.  It  is  written  with  a  pen  dipt  in  poison.  The 
Baptists  are  a  free  people  ;  and  every  one  in  these  mat- 
ters, says  and  does  that  which  seemeth  right  in  his  o\vn 
eyes  :  but  it  is  to  be  hoped,  that  the  present,  nor  any 
other  generation,  will  ever  witness  another  publication, 
written  in  the  style  or  temper  of  the  above  pamphlet ; 
and  that,  too,  by  one  Baptist  preacher  against  another. 


SAMUEL  ECCLES  was  a  native  of  Roscommon,  in  Ire- 
land, and  began  professional  life  in  the  capacity  of  a  mer- 
chant, in  his  own  country  ;  but  proving  unfortunate  in 
trade,  soon  after  his  engaging  in  it,  he  went  to  France, 
and  as  a  friend  to  liberty,  took  an  active  part  in  the  rev- 
olutionary war,  in  which  that  country  was  then  engaged. 
But  the  enormities  practised  there,  under  the  name  of 
liberty,  both  by  the  government  and  army,  induced  him, 
in  a  little  time,  to  resign  his  commission,  and  come  to 
America.  He  landed  in  South-Carolina  ;  and  here  it 
pleased  God,  shortly  after  his  arrival,  to  impress  his  mind 
with  the  importance  and  excellence  of  religion  ;  and, 
from  being  a  man  of  the  world  and  a  soldier,  he  became 
eminent  for  piety  and  devotion.  Having  made  a  seri- 
ous profession  of  religion,  his  attention  was  turned  to  the 
ministry  ;  and  that  he  might  be  qualified  to  perform  the 
duties  of  this  important  station  to  advantage,  he  availed 
himself  of  the  opportunity  afforded  by  the  establishment 
of  the  Baptist  Education  Fund,  belonging  to  the  Charles- 
ton Association,  and  engaged  in  the  course  of  classical 
and  theological  studies,  which  he  pursued  about  four 
years,  with  close  application,  under  the  Rev.  Mr.  Roberts, 
near  Stateburg.  He  had  been  for  some  time  pastor  of 


294  Biography  of  Morgan  Edwards. 

a  church  in  the  upper  part  of  this  State  ;  and  though  liv- 
ing at  a  distance,  preached  at  stated  times  in  Orange- 
burg,  where  he  was  solicited  to  settle  ;  but  having,  about 
two  months  before  his  death,  married  a  daughter  of  the 
late  Rev.  Timothy  Durgan,  of  Jeffer's  Creek,  he  had  just 
changed  his  residence  to  that  place,  and  was  entered  on 
an  apparently  extensive  field  of  usefulness,  when  it  pleas- 
ed God,  who  is  infinitely  wise  and  sovereign  in  his  coun- 
sels and  dispensations,  by  a  short  but  sharp  illness,  to 
remove  him  to  the  world  of  spirits,  August  12,  1808. 
Mr.  Eccles'  age  is  not  mentioned,  but  he  was,  probably, 
about  4O  years  eld. 

His  natural  and  acquired  abilities  were  respectable  ; 
his  character  fair  ;  his  disposition  amiable,  and  his  use- 
fulness conspicuous.  As  a  preacher  he  was  zealous  and 
active,  and  manifested  an  extensive  acquaintance  with 
the  heart  and  conscience,  which  he  addressed  with  creat 

o 

seriousness.  In  his  preaching,  he  insisted  much  on  the 
great  peculiarities  of  the  gospel,  considered  as  a  dispen- 
sation of  free,  sovereign,  and  glorious  grace,  extended 
through  a  Redeemer  to  guilty,  dying  men,  and  strongly 
enforced  the  necessity  of  experimental,  practical  godli- 
ness. One  who  knew  him  well  and  felt  as  a  friend,  in 
giving,  information  of  his  death,  writes,  "  He  bore  his 
last  affliction  with  placid  resignation  and  unrepining  pa- 
tience." 


MORGAN  EDWARDS,  A.M. The  following  biograph- 
ical sketch  of  this  truly  eminent  man,  and  distinguished 
promoter  of  the  Baptist  cause  in  America,  was  drawn  by 
Dr.  William  Rogers  of  Philadelphia,  in  a  sermon  preach- 
ed at  his  funeral,  and  by  him  communicated  to  Dr.  Rip- 
pon,  of  London,  who  published  it  in  the  12th  No.  of 
his  Annual  Register,  from  which  it  is  now  extracted. 
The  sermon,  which  for  some  cause  was  not  printed,  was 
preached  in  the  1st  Baptist  Church  in  Philadelphia,  Feb. 
22,  .1 7i»5,  on  2  Cor.  vi.  8.  By  honour  and  dishonour  ;  by  evil 
report  and  good  report ;  as  deceivers  and  jet  true.  The 
Doctor,  after  a  general  and  pertinent  illu  -ration  of  his 
text,  thus  proceeds :  "  My  highly  esteemed  friend 


Biography  of  Morgan  Edwards.  -8-95 

and  father,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Morgan  Edwards,  requested, 
as  you  have  already  been  informed,  that  these  words 
should  be  preached  from,  as  soon  as  convenient  after 
his  decease.  I  presume  he  found  them  descriptive  of 
what  he  -net  with  in  the  course  of  his  ministry. 

"  Honour^  Mr.  Edwards  certainly  had,  both  in  Europe 
and  America.  The  College  and  Academy  of  Philadel- 
phia, at  a  very  early  period,  honoured  him  as  a  man  of 
learning,  and  a  popular  preacher,  with  a  diploma,  consti- 
tuting him  Master  of  Arts  ;  this  was  followed  by  a  degree 
ad  cundcin  in  the  year  1769,  from  the  College  of  Rhode- 
Isu'iid,  L.itfg  the  first  commencement  in  that  institution. 
In  this  seminary  he  held  a  fellowship  ^  and  filled  it  with 
reputation,  till  he  voluntarily  resigned  it  in  1789;  age 
auJ  distance  having  rendered  him  incapable  of  attend- 
ing the  meetings  of  the  Corporation  any  longer. 

"  He  alo  met  with  dishonour  ;  but  he  complained  not 
much  i/  this,  as  it  was  occasioned  by  his  strong  attach- 
ment to  the  Royal  Family  of  Great  Britain,  in  the  be- 
ginning of  the  American  war,  which  fixed  on  him  the- 
name  of  a  Tory  :  this  I  should  have  omitted  mentioning,, 
had  not  the  deceased  expressly  enjoined  it  upon  me. 
For  any  person  to  have  been  so  marked  out  in  those 
days,  was  enough  to  bring  on  political  opposition  and 
destruction  of  property;  all  of  which  took  place  with 
respect  to  Mr.  Edwards,  though  he  never  harboured  the 
thought  of  doing  the  least  injury  to  the  United  States, 
by  abetting  the  cause  of  our  enemies. 

"  A  good  report  our  departed  brother  also  had.  The 
numerous  letters  brought  with  him  across  the  Atlanticky 
from  the  Rev.  Dr.  John  Gill  and  ethers,  reported  hand- 
some things  of  him  ;  and  so  did,  in  return,  the  let- 
ters that  went  from  America  to  the  then  parent  country* 

"  Evil  reports  also  fell  to  his  share  ;  but  most  of  these- 
were  false  reports,  and  therefore  he  gave  credit  for  them 
as  a  species  of  persecution.  And  even  the  title  of  de- 
ceiver did  not  escape  him.  Often  has  he  been  told  that 
he  was  an  Arminian,  though  he  professed  to  be  a  Calvin, 
ist  ;  that  he  was  a  Universalist  in  disguise,  &c.  Yet  he 
was  true  to  his  principles.  These  may  be  seen  in  our 
confession  of  faith,  agreeing  with  that  republished  by 
the  Baptist  churches  assembled  at  London,  in  the  year 


296  Biography  of  Morgan  Edwards. 

1689.  He  seldom  meddled  with  the  five  polemical 
points  ;  but  when  he  did,  he  always  avoided  abusive 
language.  The  charge  of  Universalism  brought  against 
him  was  not  altogether  groundless  ;  for  though  he  was 
not  a  Universalist  himself,  he  professed  a  great  regard 
for  many  who  were,  and  he  would  sometimes  take  their 
part  against  violent  opposers,  in  order  to  inculcate  mod- 
eration. 

"  Mr.  Edwards  was  born  in  Trevethin  parish,  Mon- 
rr.outhshire,  in  the  principality  of  Wales,  on  May  9th, 
17^2,  old  style  j  and  had  his  grammar  learning  in  the 
same  parish,  at  a  village  called  Trosnat  j  afterwards  he 
was  placed  in  the  Baptist  seminary  at  Bristol,  in  Old- 
England,  at  the  time  the  president's  chair  was  filled  by 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Foskett.  He  entered  on  the  ministry  in 
the  sixteenth  year  of  his  age.  After  he  had  finished 
his  academical  studies,  he  went  to  Boston  in  Lincoln- 
shire, where  he  continued  seven  years,  preaching  the 
gospel  to  a  small  congregation  in  that  town.  From 
Boston,  he  removed  to  Cork,  in  Ireland,  where  he  was 
ordained,  June  1,  1757,  and  resided  nine  years.  From. 
Cork  he  returned  to  Great-Britain,  and  preached  about 
twelve  months  at  Rye,  in  Sussex.  While  at  Rye,  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Gill,*  and  other  London  ministers,  in  pursu- 
ance of  letters  which  they  received  from  this  church, 
(Philadelphia)  urged  him  to  pay  you  a  visit.  He  com- 
plied, took  his  passage  for  America,  arrived  here  May 
23,  176 1,  and  shortly  afterwards  became  your  pastor. 
He  had  the  oversight  of  this  church  for  many  years  ; 
voluntarily  resigned  his  office,  when  he  found  the  cause, 
which  was  so  near  and  dear  to  his  heart,  sinking  under 
his  hands  ;  but  continued  preaching  to  the  people,  till 
they  obtained  another  minister,  the  person  who  ntnv  ad- 
dresses you,  in  the  procuring  of  whom  he  was  not  inactive. 

"  After  this,  Mr.  Edwards  purchased  a  plantation  in 
Newark,  New-Castle  county,  State  of  Delaware,  and 

*  It  is  s'lid,  that  the  church  in  Philadelphia,  sent  to  Ur.  Gill  of  London,  to 
assist  them  in  obtaining  a  pastor  ;  but  that  they  required  so  many  accomplish- 
ments to  be  united  in  him,  that  the  Dr.  wrote  them  back,  that  he  did  not  know 
as  he  could  find  a  man  in  England  who  would  answer  their  description  ;  in- 
forming them,  at  the  same  time,  that  Mr.  Morgan  Edwards,  who  was  then 
preaching  in  five,  in  the  county  of  Sussex,  came  the  nearest  of  any  one  whr- 
could  be  obtained. 


Biography  of  Morgan  Edwards.  297 

moved  thither  with  his  family  in  the  year  1772  ;  he  con- 
tinued preaching  the  word  of  life  and  salvation  in  a  num- 
ber of  vacant  churches,  till  the  commencement  of  the 
American  war.  lie  then  desisted,  and  remained  silent, 
till  after  the  termination  of  our  revolutionary  troubles, 
and  a  consequent  reconciliation  with  this  church.  He 
then  occasionally  read  lectures  in  divinity  in  this  city, 
and  other  parts  of  Pennsylvania;  also  in  New- Jersey, 
Delaware,  and  New-England  ;  but  for  very  particular 
and  affecting  reasons*  could  never  be  prevailed  upon  to 
resume  the  sacred  character  of  a  minister. 

"  Our  worthy  friend  departed  this  life,  at  Pencader, 
New-Castle  county,  Delaware  State,  on  Wednesday  the 
28th  of  January,  1795,  in  the  73d  year  of  his  age  ;  and 
was  buried,  agreeable  to  his  own  desire,  in  the  aisle  of 
this  meeting-house,  with  his  first  wife  and  their  children ; 
her  maiden  name  was  Mary  Nunn,  originally  of  Cork, 
in  Ireland,  by  whom  he  had  several  children,  all  of  whom 
are  dead,  excepting  two  sons,  William  and  Joshua ;  the 
first,  if  alive,  is  a  military  officer  in  the  British  service ; 
the  other  is  now  present  with  us,  paying  this  last  publick 
tribute  of  filial  affection  to  the  memory  of  a  fond  and  pi- 
ous parent.  Mr.  Edwards's  second  wife  was  a  Mrs. 
Singleton,  of  the  State  of  Delaware,  who  is  also  dead,  by 
whom  he  had  no  issue. 

"  Several  of  Mr.  Edwards's  pieces  have  appeared  in 
print,  viz.  1.  A  Farewell  Discourse,  delivered  at  the  Bap- 
tist meeting-house  in  Rye,  Feb.  8, 1 76 1 ,  on  Acts  xx.  25, 26. 
And  now,  behold,  I  know  that  ye  #//,  among  whom  I  have  gone 

*  The  delicate  circumstances  in  which  Dr.  Rogers  was  placed,  at  the  time 
he  delivered  this  discourse,  was  probably  the  reason  why  he  was  not  more  ex- 
plicit on  the  subject  here  referred  to.  It  is  said  that  Mr.  Edwards,  in  the  midst 
of  his  troubles,  was  guilty,  in  a  few  instances  at  least,  of  using  intemperately  an 
antidote,  too  often  resorted  to  in  the  time  of  trouble.  And  as  he  had  always 
maintained  the  sentiment,  that  it  was  improper  for  a  minister  of  the  gospel, 
after  what  may  be  called  a  ca/iital  fall,  ever  again  to  resume  his  ministerial 
office,  he,  for  the  remainder  of  his  days,  carried  his  belief  into  practical  oper- 
ation. It  is  painful  to  have  occasion  to  relate  an  affair,  so  much  against  the 
reputation  of  a  man  so  good  and  great  as  Mr.  Edwards,  his  slips  ami  mistakes 
notwithstanding :  but  it  is  hoped  the  Baptists  generally  will  profit  by  the  un- 
pleasant story  ;  and  that  those  ministers,  (and  some  it  must  be  acknowledged 
there  are)  who  are  so  unhappy  as  to  be  left  to  similar  fails,  would  imitate  his 
example,  instead  of  crowding  themselves  forward,  with  their  bespattered  gar- 
ments, to  the  grief  of  their  brethren,  and  to  the  injury  of  the  cause  which  they 
endeavour  to  promote.  A  preacher,  whose  reputation  is  sullied,  either  by  wom- 
en or  wine,  (his  greatest  foes)  is  like  a  broken  looking-glass,which  may  be  mencl- 
td,  it  is  true,  so  as  to  do  its  former  service;  but  it  will  always  be  a  broken  thinjf, 

VOL,  2,  3* 


Biography  of  Morgan  Edwards. 

preaching  the  kingdom  of  'God  r,  shall  sec  my  face  no  more: 
fore,  I  take  ycu  to  record  this  day,  that  I  am  pure  from  the 
blood  of  all  men.  This  passed  through  two  editions,  8vo. 
2d.  A  Sermon  preached  in  the  College  of  Philadelphia,  at 
the  ordination  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Jones,  (now  D.D.) 
with  a  narrative  of  the  manner  in  which  the  ordination 
was  conducted,  8vo.  3d.  The  Customs  of  Primitive 
Churches,  or  a  set  of  Propositions  relative  to  the  Name, 
Materials,  Constitution,  Powers,  Officers,  Ordinances,  &c. 
of  a  Church  ;  to  which  are  added,'  their  proofs  from 
Scripture,  and  historical  narratives  of  the  manner  in 
which  most  of  them  have  been  reduced  to  practice,  4to. 
This  book  was  intended  for  the  Philadelphia!!  Associa- 
tion, in  hopes  they  would  have  improved  on  the  plan,  so 
that  their  joint  productions  might  have  introduced  a  full 
and  unexceptionable  treatise  of  church  discipline.  4th. 
A  New-Year's  Gift  ;  a  Sermon  preached  in  this  house, 
Jan.  1,  177O,  from  these  words,  This  year  thou  shah  die  ; 
which  passed  through  four  editions.  \Vhat  gave  rise* 

*  "  It  has  often  been  said,  that  when  great  men  err,  they  err  egregiouslv. 
So  did  Mr.  Edwards  in  the  instance  to  which  his  biographer  here  refers.  Led 
by  a  mere  foolish  impulse,  and  not  by  Scripture,  the  gixxl  man  persuaded  him- 
self, that  he  should  die  on  a  certain  day,  and  accordingly  fireachcd  his  own 
funeral  sermon  ;  but  the  event  did  not  answer  to  the  prediction  :  "tic  could  not 
die  for  his  life."  Wisdom  was  learnt  from  tolly,  and  many  said,  we  fume  the 
Scripture  to  walk  by;  a  more  sure  ivord  than  voices,  new  revelations  and  im- 
pulses, to  'which  ive  do  well  to  take  heed,  as  to  a  light  that  fikineth  in  a  dark 
filace.  This  was  a  teaching  lesson.  -  The  late  excellent  Mr.  George  White- 
held  was,  in  his  earlier  days,  under  a  similar  delusion.  His  wife  \v-is  with 
child  ;  he  conjectured  she  would  bring  forth  a  son  ;  she  did—  they  culled  his 
name  John;  in  all  this  there  was  no  harm  ;  but  Mr.  Whitefield  believed  that 
the  child  was  not  onlv  to  be  continued  to  him,  but  to  be  a  preacher  of  the  ev- 
erlasting srospel.  "Satan  was  permitted,"  says  he,  "to  give  me  some  wrong 
impressions.  whereby,  as  I  now  hnd,  1  mi&ai  filled  several  texts  of  Scripture. 
About  a  week,  after  the  birth  of  the  child,  his  father  baptised  him  in  the  Tab- 
ernacle. —  Thousands  went  away  big  with  hopes,  that  the  child  would  hereaf- 
ter be.  employed  in  the  work  of  the  ministry,  and  Mr.  Whitenekl  as  much  sa 
as  any  of  them  ;  but  little  John  died  when  he  was  about  four  months  old,  with- 
out being  great  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  as  his  father  had  promised  himself. 
Tui.s  mistake  was  over-ruled  in  mercv,  and  the  great  and  good  man  himself 
thus  concludes  the  narrative  of  this  afiair,  (letter  547th,  vol.  2d  of  his  works  :) 
"  I  hope  what  happened  before  his  birth,  and  since  at  his  death,  has  taught 
me  such  lessons,  as,  if  duly  improved,  may  render  his  mistaken  parent  more 
sober  minded,  more  experienced  in  Satan's  devices,  and  consequently  more 
useful,  in  his  future  labours,  to  the  church  of  God."  How  proper,  that  minis- 
ters and  Christians  should  learn  from  these  instances,  to  avoid  all  enthusiastick. 
impulses,  and  be  concerned  to  put  God's  meaning  on  God's  word  !" 

'a  Register. 


I  find  that  some  of  Mr.  Edwards's  friends  are  unwilling  to  admit  that  he  in- 
tended the  discourse  above  mentioned  for  his  funeral  sermon.  But  I  have  been 
assured  by  one  of  his  most  confidential  friends,  that  the  story  is  literally  true  ; 
and  that  he  did  actually  request  one  of  the  senior  ministers  in  the  Philadelphia 


Bhgfmphy  of  Morgan  Edwards.  299 

to  this  discourse  will  probably  be  recollected  for  many 
years  to  come.  5th.  Materials  towards  a  History  of  the 
Baptists  in  Pennsylvania,  both  British  and  German,  dis- 
tinguished into  First-day,  Keithian,  Seventh-day,  Tunker, 
and  Rogerene  Baptists,  12mo.  1792.  The  motto  of 
both  volumes  is,  Lo  !  a  people  that  dwell  alone,  and  shall 
not  be  reckoned  among  the  nations.  7th.  A  Treatise  on  the 
Millennium,  sth.  A  Treatise  on  the  New  Heaven  andNcw 
Earth  :  this  was  re-printed  in  London.  9th.  Res  Sacra,  a 
Translation  from  the  Latin.  The  subject  of  this  piece  is 
an  enumeration  of  all  the  acts  of  publick  worship,  which 
the  New-Testament  styles  offerings  and  sacrifices  ;  among 
which,  giving  money  for  religious  uses  is  one  ;  and  there- 
fore, according  to  Mr.  Edvvards's  opinion,  is  to  be  done  in 
the  places  of  publick  worship,  and  with  equal  devotion. 

"  Besides  what  he  gave  to  his  intimate  friends  as  to- 
kens of  personal  regard,  he  has  left  behind  him  42  vol- 
umes of  sermons,  1 12  sermons  to  a  volume,  all  written  in 
a  large  print  hand  ;  also  about  a  dozen  volumes  in  quar- 
to, on  special  subjects,  in  some  of  which  he  was  respon- 
dent, and  therefore  they  may  not  contain  his  own  real 
sentiments.  These, with  many  other  things, unite  to  shew 
that  he  was  no  idler. 

"  He  used  to  recommend  it  to  ministers  to  write  their 
sermons  at  large,  but  not  to  read  them  in  the  pulpit  ;  if 
he  did,  he  advised  the  preacher  to  write  a  large,  fail- 
hand,  and  make  himself  so  much  master  of  his  subject, 
that  a  glance  might  take  in  a  whole  page.  Being  a  good 
classick,and  a  man  of  refinement, he  was  vexed  with  such 
discourses  from  the  pulpit  as  deserved  no  attention,  and 
much  more  to  hear  barbarisms  ;  because,  as  he  used  to 
say,  "  They  were  arguments  either  of  vanity  or  indo- 
lence, or  both  ;  for  an  American,  with  an  English  gram- 
mar in  his  hand,  a  learned  friend  at  his  elbow,  and  close 
application  for  six  months,  might  make  himself  master 
of  his  mother  tongue." 

"  The  Baptist  churches  are  much  indebted  to  Mr. 
Edwards.  They  will  long  remember  the  time  and  tal- 

Association,  to  preach  a  sermon  at  his  interment  Although  Mr.  Edwards 
lived  twenty-five  years  after  this  event,  yet  he  did  actually  die,  at  the  time,  in 
a  figurative  sense.  And  it  is  reported  of  him,  that  he  said  to  a  friend,  some 
time  after  this  unpleasant  affair  happened,  that  he  was  mistaken  in  his  impul- 
ses ;  for  he  thought  it  was  the  man,  and  not  the  minister,  that  should  die. 


300  Biography  of  Morgan  Edwards. 

ents  he  devoted  to  their  best  interests  both  in  Europe 
and  America.  Very  far  was  he  irom  a  selfish  person. 
When  the  arrears  of  his  salary,  as  pastor  of  this  church, 
amounted  to  upwards  of  ^37^,  and  he  was  put  in 
possession  of  a  house,  by  the  church,  till  the  princi- 
pal and  interest  should  be  paid,  he  resigned  the  house, 
and  relinquished  a  great  part  of  the  debt,  lest  the  church 
should  be  distressed. 

"  The  College  of  Rhode-Island  is  also  greatly  behold- 
en  to  him  for  his  vigorous  exertions  at  home  and  abroad, 
in  raiding  money  for  that  institution,  and  for  his  particu- 
lar activity  in  procuring  its  charter.  This  he  deemed 
the  greatest  service  he  ever  did  for  the  honour  of  the 
Baptist  name.  As  one  of  its  first  sons,  1  cheerfully  make 
this  publick  testimony  of  his  laudable  and  well-timed 
zeal. 

"  In  the  first  volume  of  his  Materials,  he  proposed  a 
plan  for  uniting  all  the  Baptists  on  the  continent  in  one 
body  politick,  by  having  the  Association  of  Philadelphia 
(the  centre)  incorporated  by  charter,  and  by  taking  one 
delegate  out  of  each  Association  into  the  corporation  ; 
but  finding  this  impracticable  at  that  time,  he  visited  the 
churches  from  New-Hampshire  to  Georgia,  gathering 
materials  towards  the  history  of  the  whole.  Permit 
me  to  add,  that  this  plan  of  union,  as  yet,  has  not  SUCT 
ceeded. 

"  Mr.  Edwards  was  the  moving  cause  of  having  the 
minutes  of  the  Philadelphia  Association  printed,  which 
he  could  not  bring  to  bear  for  some  years ;  and  there- 
fore, at  his  own  expense,  he  printed  tables,  exhibiting 
the  original  and  annual  state  of  the  associating  churches. 

"  There  was  nothing  ,  uncommon  in  Mr.  Edwards's 
person  ;  but  he  possessed  an  original  genius.  By  his 
travels  in  England,  Ireland  and  America,  commixing 
•with  all  sorts  of  people,  and  by  close  application  to  read- 
ing, he  had  attained  a  remarkable  ease  of  behaviour  in 
company,  and  was  furnished  with  something  pleasant 
or  informing  to  say  on  all  occasions.  His  Greek  Testa- 
ment was  his  favourite  companion,  of  which  he  was  a 
complete  master ;  his  Hebrew  Bible  next,  but  he  was 
not  so  well  versed  in  the  Hebrew  as  in  the  Greek  lan- 
guage ;  however,  he  knew  so  much  of  both  as  author: - 


Biography  of  Benjamin  Foster.  3O1 

sed  him  to  say,  as  he  often  did,  that  the  Greek  and 
Hebrew  are  the  two  eyes  of  a  minister,  and  the  trans- 
lations are  but  commentaries ;  because  they  vary  in 
sense  as  commentators  do.  He  preferred  the  ancient 
British  version  above  any  other  version  that  he  had 
read ;  observing:  that  the  idioms  of  the  Welsh  fitted 

'  O 

those  of  the  Hebrew  and  Greek,  like  hand  and  glove. 

"  Our  aged  and  respectable  friend  is  gone  the  way  of 
all  the  earth  ;  but  he  lived  to  a  good  old  age,  and  with 
the  utmost  composure  closed  his  eyes  on  all  the  things 
of  time.  Though  lie  is  gone,  this  is  not  gone  \vith 
him  ;  it  remains  with  us,  that  the  Baptist  interest  was 
ever  uppermost  with  him,  and  that  he  laboured  inore  to 
promote  it,  than  to  promote  his  own  ;  and  this  he  did, be- 
cause he  believed  it  to  be  the  interest  of  Christ  above  any 
in  Christendom.  His  becoming  a  Baptist  was  the  effect 
of  previous  examination  and  conviction,  having  been 
brought  up  in  the  Episcopal  church,  for  which  church 
he  retained  a  particular  regard  during  his  whole  life." 


BENJAMIN  FOSTER,  n.  D.  late  pastor  of  the  first  Bap- 
tist church  in  the  city  of  New- York,  descended  from 
respectable  parents  of  the  Congregational  church,  and 
was  born  at  Danvers,  in  the  county  of  Essex,  Massachu- 
setts, June  12,  1750. 

Agreeably  to  the  custom  of  his  native  State,  he  receiv- 
ed the  early  part  of  his  education  at  the  town  school  ; 
and  as  he  evinced,  from  his  tender  years,  a  remarkably 
devout  and  pious  disposition,  his  parents  devoted  his 
whole  time  to  academical  pursuits  in  that  seminary,  in 
order  to  fit  him  for  the  University,  where  they  intended 
to  fix  him,  as  soon  as  his  age  would  admit  of  his  remov- 
al  from  under  their  immediate  care.  At  the  age  of 
eighteen,  he  was  placed  at  Yale  College,  in  Connecticut, 
at  that  time  under  the  direction  of  the  learned  and  pious 
President  Dagget,  where  he  soon  distinguished  himself, 
no  less  by  his  religious  and  exemplary  life,  than  by  his 
assiduity  and  success  in  classical  literature. 

About  this  time,  several  tracts  relative  to  the  proper 
subjects  of  baptism,  and  also  to  the  scriptural  mode  of 


302  Biography  of  Benjamin  Foster. 

administering  that  divine  ordinance  having  made  their 
appearance,  the  matter  was  considerably  agitated  in  col- 
lege, and  fixed  on  as  a  proper  subject  for  discussion. 
Mr.  Foster  was  appointed  to  defend  infant  sprinkling. 
To  prepare  himself  for  the  dispute,  he  used  the  utmost 
exertion  :  he  endeavoured  to  view  the  question  in  every 
light  in  which  he  could  possibly  place  it :  he  carefully 
searched  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  examined  the  history 
of  the  church  from  the  times  of  the  Apostles.  The  re- 
sult however  was  very  different  from  what  had  been  ex- 
pected ;  for  when  the  day  appointed  for  discussion  arriv- 
ed, he  was  so  far  from  being  prepared  to  defend  infant 
sprinkling,  that,  to  the  great  astonishment  of  the  officers 
of  the  college,  he  avowed  himself  a  decided  convert  to 
the  doctrine,  that  only  those  who  profess  faith  in  Christ 
are  the  subjects,  and  that  immersion  only  is  the  mode  of 
Christian  baptism  ;  and  of  which  he  continued,  ever  af- 
ter, a  steady,  zealous  and  powerful  advocate. 

His  mind  was  impressed  with  serious  concern  at  an 
early  period,  but  he  had  nearly  arrived  at  manhood  be- 
fore he  obtained  a  satisfactory  evidence  of  his  having 
passed  from  death  unto  life.  While  a  youth,  his  tempta- 
tions to  blaspheme,  were  often  so  strong,  that,  as  he  re- 
lated to  some  pious  friends,  he  has  laid  fast  hold  of  his 
lips,  to  prevent  himself  from  sinning  against  his  Creator. 

He  graduated  about  the  year  177'^,  soon  after  which 
he  was  baptized,  and  joined  the  church  in  Boston,  of 
which  Samuel  Stillman,  D.  D.  was  pastor,  under  wiu.-e 
fostering  care  he  applied  himself  to  the  study  of  divinity, 
and  took  upon  himself  the  charge  of  the  Baptist  church 
in  Leicester,  Massachusetts,  over  which  he  \vas  the  same 
year  regularly  ordained  as  pastor.  During  his  residence 
in  that  place,  he  published  a  tract,  entitled,  "  The  Wash- 
ing of  Regeneration,  or  the  Divine  Rite  of  Immersion," 
in  answer  to  a  treatise  on  the  subject  of  baptism,  written 
by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Fish.  And  soon  after  he  published  his 
"  Primitive  Baptism  defended,  in  a  letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr. 
John  Cleaveland  ;"  in  both  of  which  he  discovered  con- 
siderable erudition,  great  depth  of  argument,  and  much 
Christian  charity.  After  having  continued  at  Leicester 
for  several  years,  his  connexion  with  that  church  was 
dissolved,  and  he  preached  a  short  time  in  his  native 


Biography  of  Benjamin  Foster.  30* 

(own  of  Danvers  ;  but  as  neither  Danvers  nor  Leicester 
afforded  him  the  use  of  such  books  as  were  necessary  for 
a  person  of  his  studious  turn,  he  accepted  of  an  invitation 
to  take  upon  him  the  pastoral  care  of  a  church  in  New- 
port, Rhode-Island,  where  he  soon  had  the  satisfaction 
to  find,  that  his  sphere  of  usefulness  was  considerably 
enlarged,  and  his  means  of  study  greatly  improved. 

On  an  invitation  from  the  first  Baptist  church  in  New- 
York,  lie  paid  them  a  visit  in  1788,  and  after  having 
preached  there  for  a  short  time,  received  an  unanimous 
call  to  settle  amongst  them  as  their  pastor.  Upon  his 
return  to  Newport,  he  consulted  with  his  church,  who, 
though  highly  pleased  with  the  eminent  services  of  their 
learned  and  faithful  teacher,  were  unwilling  to  throw  any 
obstacle  in  the  way,  which  might  impede  his  removal  to 
a  place,  where  his  ministerial  labours  might  still  be  more 
extensively  useful.  He  therefore  accepted  the  call  to 
New-York ;  and  having  taken  upon  him  the  pastoral 
charge  of  that  church  in  the  autumn  of  the  same  year, 
continued  in  that  station  till  the  time  of  his  death. 

In  September  1 792,  the  degree  of  D.  D.  was  conferred 
upon  him  by  the  college  of  Rhode-Island,  in  consequence 
of  a  learned  publication  of  his,  entitled,  "  A  Disserta- 
tion on  the  seventy  weeks  of  Daniel ;  the  particular  and 
exact  fulfilment  of  which  prophecy  is  considered  and 
proved." 

From  the  time  Dr.  Foster  set  out  as  a  gospel  minister, 
he  was  uniformly  assiduous  in  the  discharge  of  all  the 
duties  of  his  office  ;  nor  did  his  zeal  in  the  service  of  his- 
Master  abate,  as  he  advanced  in  life  ;  for  during  his  last 
twelve  or  fourteen  years,  it  was  his  constant  practice  to 
preach  from  four  to  six  sermons  every  week.  But  the 
yellow  fever,  which  committed  so  great  havock  in  New- 
York,  during  the  autumn  of  179«,  put  a  period  to  the 
usefulness  of  this  worthy  man.  This  dreadful  malady 
had  begun  to  prevail,  and  several  of  his  friends  had  sunk 
under  its  malignity.  In  their  last  illness,  Dr.  Foster  was 
frequent  in  his  visits,  when  he  prayed  with  them  and  ad- 
ministered the  soothing  consolations  of  religion.  As  he 
was  one  of  those  whom  no  appearance  of  danger  couid 
intimidate  from  persevering  in  what  he  considered  to  be 
the  path  of  duty,he  was  not  unwilling  to  visit  those  scenes- 


304  Biography  of  Daniel  Fristoe. 

of  affliction,  from  which,  at  that  time,  many  of  the  best 
of  men  shrunk  back  with  terror.  He  was,  however, 
seized  with  the  disorder,  and  after  an  illness  of  a  very 
few  days,  expired,  August  26,  1798,  to  the  great  and  al- 
most irreparable  loss  of  his  church,  aged  49  years. 

Dr.  Foster,  as  a  scholar,  particularly  in  the  Greek, 
Hebrew  and  Chaldean  languages,  has  left  few  superiors. 
As  a  divine.,  he  was  strictly  Calvinistick,  and  full  on  the 
doctrine  of  salvation  by  free  grace.  As  a  preacher,  he  was 
indefatigable.  In  private  life,  he  was  innocent  as  a  child 
and  harmless  as  a  dove,  fulfilling  all  the  duties  of  life 
with  the  greatest  punctuality.  The  following  inscrip- 
tion on  a  handsome  marble  over  his  grave,  in  the  Bap- 
tist buryirig-ground  in  New-York,  written  by  an  em- 
inent Presbyterian  clergyman  of  that  city,  is  an  en- 
comium justly  due  to  his  memory  :  "  As  a  scholar  and 
divine  he  excelled  ;  as  a  preacher  he  was  eminent ;  as  a 
Christian  he  shone  conspicuously  ;  in  his  piety  he  was 
fervent ;  the  church  was  comforted  by  his  life,  and  i£ 
now  laments  his  death." 

Dr.  Foster  was  twice  married,  and  in  both  instances 
was  blest  with  a  pious  and  excellent  companion.  His 
first  wife,  who  was  Elizabeth  Green,  daughter  of  Rev. 
Thomas  Green  of  Leicester,  died  August  19,  1793  ;  and 
his  second  was  Martha,  daughter  of  Mr.  James  Bingham 
of  New- York,  whom  he  survived  but  a  very  short  time. 
She  died  July  27,  1798. 


DANIEL  FRISTOE  was  born  at  Chappawomsick,  Staf- 
ford county,  Virginia,  December  7,  1739.  He  was  bred 
an  Episcopalian,  but  embraced  the  Baptist  sentiments 
soon  after  they  began  to  prevail  in  Virginia,  and  was 
baptized  by  his  spiritual  father,  David  Thomas.  When 
young,  he  received  a  liberal  English  education,  and 
though  fond  of  fashionable  amusements,  was  not  addict- 
ed  to  the  grosser  vices  of  the  times. 

His  conversion  was  brought  about  on  this  wise. 
When  about  23  years  of  age,  his  curiosity  led  him  to  go 
:i  considerable  distance  to  hear  a  Baptist  preacher,  whose 
name  is  not  known.  While  at  the  meeting,  his  horse 


Biography  of  Daniel  Fristoe.  20J 

strayed  away,  which  obliged  him  to  tarry  all  night  at 
the  place.  In  the  course  of  the  evening,  many  came  in, 
who  had  lately  been  converted,  and  who.  by  entering 
freely  into  religious  conversation,  brought  strange  things 
to  his  ears,  and  awakened  his  attention  to  eternal  things. 
He  returned  home  with  much  seriousness  and  solicitude, 
and  after  labouring  a  while  under  great  distress  of  mind, 
was  brought  into  the  liberty  of  the  gospel.  He  now 
began  exhorting,  but  was  soon  called  by  his  brethren 
to  the  ministry.  His  course  was  short  but  rapid,  and 
the  success  which  attended  his  labours,  appears  to  have 
been  unusually  great.  About  the  year  177-J-,  he  wry? 
sent  as  a  messenger  from  the  Ketockton  to  the  Phiia- 

o 

delphia  Association.  Here  he  caught  the  small-pox,  and 
after  a  short  tour  of  preaching  in  New- Jersey,  return- 
ed to  Philadelphia,  and  began  his  journey  homeward,  but 
was  laid  by  at  Marcus-Hook,  a  small  town,  a  few  miles 
below  the  city,  where  he  died  in  the  3,5th  year  of  his 
age.  His  remains  were  carried  back  to  Philadelphia,  and 
buried  in  the  Baptist  ground. 

The  following  extract  from  Mr.  Fristoe's  journal, 
which  has  been  preserved  by  Mr.  Edwards,  contains  the 
most  interesting  account  of  his  ministry,  which  I  have 
been  able  to  obtain  ;  for  his  biography  has  been  almost 
altogether  neglected. 

"  Saturday,  June  15,  1771.  This  day  I  began  to  act  as 
an  ordained  minister,  and  never  before  saw  such  mani- 
fest appearances  of  God's  working  and  the  devil's  raging 
at  one  time  and  in  one  place.  My  first  business  was  to 
examine  candidates  for  baptism,  who  related  what  God 
did  for  their  souls  in  such  a  manner  as  to  affect  many 
present :  then  the  opposers  grew  very  troublesome,  par- 
ticularly one  James  Nayler,  who,  after  raging  and  railing 
for  a  while,  fell  down  and  began  to  tumble  and  beat  the 
ground  with  both  ends,  like  a  fi->h  when  it  drops  off  the 
hook  on  dry  land,  cursing  and  blaspheming  God  all  the 
while  ;  at  last  a  <rentleman.  offered  ten  shillings  to  anv 

O  O  • 

that  would  bind  him  and  take  him  out  of  the  place, 
which  was  soon  earned  by  some  stout  fellows  who  stood 
by.  Sixteen  persons  were  adjudged  fit  subjects  of  bap- 
tism. The  next  day  being  Sunday,  about  20(X)  people 
came  together;  many  more  offered  for  baptism,  13  of 
VOL.  2.  39 


!jOi>  Biography  of  John  Gano, 

whom  were  judged  worthy.  As  we  stood  by  the  water, 
the  people  were  weening  and  crying  in  a  most  extraor- 
dinary manner  ;  and  others  cursing  and  swearing,  and 
acting  like  men  posseted.  In  the  midst  of  this,  a  tree 
tumbled  down,  being  overloaded  with  people,  who,  Zic- 
cheus-llkc,  had  climbed  up  to  see  baptism  administered  ; 
the  coming  down  of  that  tree  occasioned  the  adjacent 
trees  to  fall  also,  being  loaded  in  the  same  manner  ;  but 
none  was  hurt.  When  the  ordinance  was  administered, 
I  I  had  laid  hands  on  the  parties  baptized,  we  sang 
those  charming  words  of  Dr.  Watts,  "  Come^  we  who  lo-ve 
Lor:/,"  <::c.  The  multitude  sang  and  wept  and  smil- 
ed in  tears,  holding  up  their  hands  and  countenances  to- 
wards heaven,  in  such  a  manner  as  I  had  not  seen  before. 
In  going  home,  I  turned  to  look  at  the  people,  who  re- 
mained by  the  water  side,  and  saw  some  screaming  on 
the  ground,  some  wringing  their  hands,  some  in  extacies 
of  joy,  some  praying,  others  cursing  and  swearing,  and 
exceedingly  outrageous.  We  hircc  seen  strange  things  to- 
day." 


JOHN  GANO  was  one  of  the  most  eminent  ministers  in 
his  day  ;  in  point  of  talents  he  was  exceeded  by  few, 
and  as  an  itinerant  he  was  inferior  to  none,  who  ever 
travelled  the  United  States,  unless  it  were  the  renowned 
Whitefield.  He  was  born  at  Hopewell,  in  New- Jersey, 
July  22,  1727,  was  converted  soon  after  he  arrived  at 
manhood,  and  was  ordained  in  the  place  of  his  nativity, 
in  l?.-3  4-.  His  progenitors,  on  his  father's  side,  were 
from  France,  on  his  mother's  from  England.  His  great- 
grand-father,  Francis  Gano,  fled  from  Guernsey,  in  the 
time  of  a  bloody  persecution  ;  one  of  his  neighbours  had 
been  martyred  in  the  day,  and  in  the  evening  he  was 
.1  on  as  the  victim  for  the  next  day  ;  information  of 
winch  he  received  in  the  dead  of  night,  in  this  perilous 

..ition  he  made  all  haste  to  escape  the  sanguinary  storm 
;!i  hung  over  his  head  :  he  chartered  a  vessel,  remov- 
ed hi^  family  on  board,  and  in  the  morning  was  out  of 
sight  of  the  harbour.  On  his  arrival  in  America,  he 
settled  in  New-Rochelle,  a  few  miles  above  the  city  of 
New-York,  where  he  lived  to  the  age  of  a  hundred  and 


Biography  of  John  Cant.  307 

three.  Of  the  number  or  names  of  the  family  of  this  re- 
ligious refugee,  \ve  know  no  more,  than  that  lie  had  one 
son  named  Stephen,  who  married  Ann  Walton,  by 
'\vhom  he  had  many  children,  some  of  whom  died  young  ; 
those  who  lived  to  marry,  were  Daniel,  Francis,  James, 
John,  Lewis,  Isaac,  and  three  daughters,  Sarah,  Catha- 
rine, and  Susannah  ;  the  last  of  whom  lived  to  the  age 
of  eighty-seven.  Daniel  married  Sarah  B:itton  of  Staten- 
Island,  near  the. city  of  New- York,  by  whom  he  had 
Daniel,  Jane,  Stephen,  Susannah,  John,  Nathaniel,  David, 
and  Sarah.  The  two  first  were  born  on  Staten-Island, 
the  others  at  liopewell,  in  New-Jersey.  Some  of  these 
died  young  ;  but  a  number  of  them  founded  families, 
and  their  posterity  is  scattered  in  many  parts  of  Amer- 
ica ;  most  of  them,  however,  are  in  the  middle  and  west- 
ern States.  The  subject  of  this  memoir  had  the  happi- 
ness of  being  born  of  parents  eminent  for  piety,  by  whom 
he  was  early  taught  the  necessity  of  religion,  and  a  cor- 
rect view  of  the  gospel  system.  His  maternal  grand- 
mother was  about  seventy-six  years  a  pious  member  of 
a  Baptist  church  ;  she  lived  to  the  age  of  ninety-six.  His 
mother  was  of  the  same  persuasion,  but  his  father  was  a 
Presbyterian.  But  every  thing  attending  his  making  a 
religious  profession  among  the  Baptists,  was  conducted 
with  prudence  on  his  part,  and  with  tenderness  on  that  of 
his  friends.  He  was  at  first  much  inclined  to  join  the  Pres- 
byterians, but  having  some  scruples  on  the  subject  of  in- 
fant baptism,  he  determined  to  give  it  a  thorough  inves- 
tigation. He  not  only  read  books,  but  had  frequent  con- 
versation with  Presbyterian  friends ;  but  the  more  he 
studied  the  Pedobaptist  arguments,  the  less  he  was  inclin- 
ed to  believe  them.  The  famous  Mr.  Tennant,*  and  some 
other  Presbyterian  ministers,  were  among  the  circle  of  his 
Pedobaptist  friends.  With  Mr.  Tennant  he  conversed  of- 
ten and  freely  ;  at  the  close  of  a  lengthy  discussion  of  the 
subject  of  baptism,  that  candid  divine  addressed  him  in 
the  following  manner  :  "Dear  young  inan,  if  the  devil 
cannot  destroy  your  soul,  he  will  endeavour  to  destroy 
your  comfort  and  usefulness  ;  and  therefore  do  not  be 
always  doubting  in  this  matter.  If  you  cannot  think  as 

*  It  is  not  known  by  the  writer  whether  William  or  Gilbert  is  the  minister 
inlcnded,  but  '.t  is  probably  il  was  the  latter. 


305  Biography  of  John  Can«. 

I  do,  think  for  yourself."  After  a  suspense  of  some 
time,  he  became  fully  established  in  those  principles, 
which  he  through  life  maintained  with  so  much  ability 
and  moderation.  Having  resolved  to  be  buried  in  bap- 
ti^n  on  a  profession  of  his  faith,  he  made  his  father  ac- 
quainted with  his  design,  who  treated  him  with  much 
indulgence  and  tenderness.  He  stated  that  what  he  did 
for  him  in  his  infancy,  he  then  thought  was  right,  and 
the  discharge  of  an  incumbent  duty,  but  if  he  felt  con- 
scientious in  his  present  undertaking,  he  had  his  full 
and  free  consent.  He  moreover  proposed  that  -when 
he  should  offer  himself  to  the  Baptist  church,  he  would 
go  with  him  and  give  his  consent  there,  and  answer 
any  inquiries  they  might  wish  to  make  respecting  his  life, 
&c.  and  also  that  he  would  go  and  see  him  baptized.  All 
these  promises  his  catholick  father  fulfilled. 

Soon  after  Mr.  Gano  was  joined  to  the  Hopewell 
church,  his  mind  was  led  to  the  ministry,  but  with  many 
anxieties  and  fears.  He  was  so  much  absorbed  in  his 
thoughts  of  the  great  work,  that  he  was  often  lost  to 
every  other  object.  One  morning  after  he  began  plough- 
ing  in  his  field,  this  passage,  Warn  the  people^  or  their  blood 
will  I  require  at  your  hands,  came  with  such  weight  upon 
his  mind,  that  he  drove  on  until  1 1  o'clock,  utterly  in- 
sensible of  his  employment.  When  he  came  to  himself 
he  found  he  was  wet  through  with  the  rain,  his  horses 
were  excessively  fatigued,  and  the  labour  he  had  perform- 
ed was  astonishingly  great. 

After  becoming  satisfied  that  preaching  would  be  his 
employment,  he  applied  himself  with  much  assiduity  to 
studies  preparatory  for  it,  which  he  continued,  with  some 
interruptions  however,  for  two  or  three  years.  Before 
he  had  been  approbated  to  preach,  he  took  a  journey  in- 
to Virginia,  with  Mcs.-.rs.  Miller  and  Thomas,  two  emi- 
nent ^linist^rs  of  that  day,  who  had  been  appointed  by 
the  Philadelphia  Association  to  go  and  assist  in  settling 
some  difficulties  in  two  infant  churches  there,  which  had 
applied  to  them  for  help.  Some  account  of  this  journey 
has  been  given  in  the  first  part  of  the  history  of  the  Bap- 
tists in  Virginia.  Before  Mr.  Gano  had  returned  home, 
a  report  had  reached  Hopeweil,  that  he  had  got  to  preach- 
ing in  Virginia ;  and  some  of  his  brethren  were  tried 


Biography  of  John  Gam.  309 

with  him,  for  engaging  in  the  ministry  without  the  ap- 
probation of  the  church.  A  meeting  was  called  on  his 
arrival,  and  he  was  arraigned  as  being  guilty  of  disorder. 
He  wished  them  to  exhibit  their  proofs.  They  inform- 
ed him  that  they  had  none,  only  what  travellers  from 
Virginia  had  reported,  but  desired  that  he  would  give 
them  a  relation  of  the  matter.  He  replied  that  it  was 
the  first  time  he  had  known  the  accused  called  on  to  give 
evidence  against  himself,  but  he  was  willing,  notwith- 
standing, to  give  them  an  impartial  relation  of  his  con- 
duct, which  he  did.  The  church  then  asked  him  what 
he  thought  of  his  proceedings,  and  whether  he  did  not 
think  he  had  been  disorderly.  He  replied  again,  that  he 
considered  this  question  more  extraordinary  than  the 
other.  He  had  not  only  given  evidence  in  his  own  case 
which  would  operate  against  him,  but  he  was  now  called 
upon  to  adjudge  himself  guilty.  This  is  a  specimen  of 
that  ingenuity  and  presence  of  mind,  which  shone  so 
conspicuously  through  all  the  transactions  of  this  saga- 
cious character.  He  at  length  informed  the  church  that 
he  did  not  mean  to  act  disorderly,  nor  contrary  to  their 
wishes  ;  that  his  conscience  acquitted  him  for  what  he 
had  done  ;  that  he  had  no  disposition  to  xepent  his  hav- 
ing sounded  the  gospel  to  perishing  souls  in  Virginia, 
whose  importunities  to  hear  it  he  could  not  resist  ;  that 
the  case  was  extraordinary,  and  would  not  probably 
happen  again  ;  if  it  should,  he  should  probably  do  again 
as  lie  had  already  done.  The  church  now  appointed 
him  a  time  to  preach,  which  he  did  to  their  acceptance ; 
and  after  a  thorough  examination  of  his  gifts  and  call, 
he  was  regularly  set  apart  for  the  ministry.  Soon  after 
this,  he  went  to  reside  at  Morristown  ;  and  calls  for 
preaching  pressed  upon  him  so  much,  that  his  studies,  in 
which  he  had  considerably  advanced,  were  in  a  great 
measure  relinquished. 

At  the  next  meeting  of  the  Philadelphia  Association, 
that  body  was  again  petitioned  to  appoint  some  one  to 
travel  to  the  south.  .  Messengers  had  also  come  on  from 
Virginia,  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  a  preacher  to  la- 
bour and  administer  ordinances  among  them.  As  no 
ordained  minister  could  conveniently  go,  Mr.  Gano  was 
urged  to  accept  ordination,  and  undertake  the  journey. 


310  Biography  of  John  Gam. 

He  pleaded  against  it  his  youth  and  inexperience  ;  but 
the  messengers  from  Virginia,  and  his  brethren  at  home, 
united  their  importunities,  and  he  engaged  in  the  mission. 
He  .was  ordained  in  May  1754,  and  set  out  in  a  short 
time  after.  In  this  journey  he  went  as  far  as  Charleston, 
South-Carolina,  and  travelled  extensively  throughout  the 
southern  Stales.  Some  extracts  from  his  journal  will 
give  the  reader  some  view  of  the  turn  of  the  man,  and 
of  the  manner  in  which  he  prosecuted  his  mission.  His 
journal,  which  was  printed  in  his  life,  has  but  few  dates, 
but  it  will  be  understood  that  the  following  scenes  trans- 
pired in  the  summer  and  autumn  of  1754. 

In  the  back  parts  of  Virginia,  this  zealous  missionary, 
while  conversing  with  some  people  where  he  lodged,  in 
an  affectionate  manner,respecting  their  religious  concerns, 
overheard  one  of  the  company  say  to  another,  "  This 
man  talks  like  one  of  the  Jones's  !"  On  inquiring  who 
the  Jones's  were,  he  was  informed  that  they  were  dis- 
tracted people,  who  did  nothing  but  pray  and  talk  about 
Jesus  Christ ;  and  that  they  lived  between  twenty  and 
thirty  miles  distant  on  his  route.  "  I  determined,"  said 
he,  "  to  make  it  my  next  day's  ride,  and  see  my  own  like- 
ness" When  he  arrived  at  the  house,  he  found  there  a 
plain  obscure  family,  which  had  formerly  lived  in  a  very 
careless  manner,  but  a  number  of  them  had  lately 
been  changed  by  grace,  and  were  much  engaged  in  de- 
votional exercises.  As  he  entered  the  house,  he  saw  the 
father  of  the  family  lying  before  the  fire,  groaning  with 
rheumatick  pains.  He  inquired  how  he  did  ?  "  O," 
said  he,  Ic  I  am  in  great  distress."  "  I  am  glad  of  it," 
replied  the  stranger.  The  old  gentleman,  astonished  at 
this  singular  reply,  raised  himself  up,  and  inquired  what 
he  meant  ?  "  Whom  the  Lord  loveth  he  chasteneth, 
and  scourgeth  every  son  whom  he  receiveth,"  answered 
Mr.  Gano.  From  this  they  proceeded  to  religious  con- 
versation, and  he  soon  found  this  pious  family,  whom 
the  world  accounted  mad,  had  been  taught  the  words  of 
truth  and  soberness.  They  asked  him  many  questions, 
and  were  much  pleased  to  find  one,  who  was  acquainted 
with  the  things  they  had  experienced. 

From  this  place  he  proceeded  on  towards  North-Car- 
olina, having  a  young  man  with  him,  who  chose  to  bear 


Biography  of  John  Gano.  311 

him  company  on  his  way.  "  We  arrived  at  a  house  just 
at  dusk,  the  master  of  which  gave  us  liberty  to  tarry. 
After  we  had  conveyed  our  things  into  the  house,  he 
asked  me  if  I  was  a  trader  ;  which  I  answered  in  the  af- 
firmative. He  asked  me  if  1  found  it  to  answer  ;  to 
which  I  answered,  "  Not  so  well  as  I  could  wish.*'  He 
replied,  "  Probably  the  goods  did  not  suit."  I  told  him, 
"  No  one  had  complained  of  that."  He  said  I  held  them 
too  high.  1  answered,  "  Any  one  might  have  them  be- 
low their  own  price."  He  said  he  would  trade  on  these 
terms  ;  which,  I  said,  I  would  cheerfully  comply  with. 
I  then  asked  him,  "  If  gold  tried  in  the  fire,  yea,  that  which 
was  better  than  the  fine  gold,  wine  and  milk,  durable 
riches  and  righteousness,  without  money  and  without 
price,  would  not  suit  him  ?"  "  O,"  said  he,  "  I  believe 
you  are  a  minister."  I  told  him  I  was,  and  had  a  right 
to  proclaim  free  grace  wherever  I  went.  This  bid  the 
foundation  for  the  evening's  conversation  ;  and  I  must 
acknowledge  his  kindness,  though  he  was  not  very  desir- 
ous of  trading^  after  he  discovered  who  I  was." 

Our  itinerant  continued  southward  until  he  arrived  at 
Charleston  ;  and  there,  and  in  its  vicinity,  he  preached 
to  good  acceptance.  His  account  of  his  first  sermon  for 
Mr.  Hart,  in  Charleston,  is  as  follows  :  "  When  I  arose 
to  speak,  the  sight  of  so  brilliant  an  audience,  among 
whom  were  twelve  ministers,  and  one  of  whom  was  Mr. 
Whitefield,  for  a  moment,  brought  the  fear  of  man  up- 
on me  ;  but  blessed  be  the  Lord,  I  was  soon  relieved  from 
this  embarrassment ;  the  thought  passed  my  mind,  I  had 
none  to  fear  and  obey,  but  the  Lord." 

On  his  return  from  Charleston  to  the  northward,  he 
visited  an  island  where  he  was  informed  there  never  had 
been  but  two  sermons  preached.  The  people  soon  col- 
lected together,  and  he  preached  to  them  from  these 
words,  Behold,  the  third  time  /  am  ready  to  come  to  you>  and 
I  -will  not  be  burdensome  to  you. 

When  he  arrived  at  Tar  River,  in  North-Carolina,  he 
found  a  report  had  gone  forth,  that  some  of  the  princi- 
pal men  in  the  county  had  agreed,  that  if  he  came  with- 
in their  reach,  they  would  apprehend  him  as  a  spy  ;  for  by 
his  name  he  was  judged  to  be  a  Frenchman,  and  this  was 
in  the  time  of  the  French  war.  Some  of  these  people 


S12  fifography  of  John  GUHJ. 

lived  on  the  road  he  was  to  travel  the  next  day.  His 
friends  urged  him  to  take  a  different  route  ;  but  he  re- 
plied that  God  had  so  far  conducted  him  on  his  way  in 
safety,  and  he  should  tru;;t  him  for  the  future.  When 
he  got  near  the  place  where  the  principal  men  who  had 
threatened  him  lived,  he  was  advised  to  go  through  it  as 
secretly  as  possible  ;  but  that  by  no  means  accorded  with 
his  views  :  he  replied,  he  should  stop  and  refresh  him- 
self in  the  place.  He  stopped  at  one  of  the  most  pubiick 
houses,  and  asked  the  landlord  if  he  thought  the  people 
would  come  out  to  hear  a  sermon  on  a  week  day.  He 
informed  him  he  thought  they  would  ;  but  observed, 
that  on  the  next  Monday,  there  was  to  be  a  general  mus- 
ter for  that  county.  He  therefore  concluded  to  defer  the 
meeting  till  that  time,  and  requested  the  landlord  to  in- 
form the  Colonel  of  the  regiment,  (who,  he  had  learnt, 
was  one  of  those  who  had  threatened  him)  of  his  name, 
&c.  and  desire  of  him  the  favour  of  preaching  a  short 
sermon  before  military  duty.  The  landlord  promised  to 
comply  with  his  request.  "  On  Monday  I  had  twenty 
miles  to  ride  to  the  muster,  and  by  10  o'clock  there 
was  a  numerous  crowd  of  men  and  women  ;  they  had 
erected  a  stage  in  the  woods  for  me,  and  I  preached 
from  Paul's  Christian  armour.  They  all  paid  the  most 
profound  attention,  except  or.e  man  who  behaved 
amiss.  I  spoke  and  told  him,  I  was  ashamed  to  see 
a  soldier  so  awkward  in  duty,  and  wondered  his  officer 
could  bear  with  him.  The  Colonel,  as  I  afterwards 
understood,  brought  him  to  order.  After  service,  I  de- 
sired a  person  to  inform  the  commander  that  I  wanted 
to  speak  with  him.  He  immediately  came,  and  I  told 
him,  that  although  I  professed  loyalty  to  King  George, 
and  did  not  wish  to  infringe  upon  the  laudable  design  of 
the  day,  yet,  I  thought,  the  King  of  kings  ought  to  be 
served  iirst  ;  and  I  presumed  what  I  had  said  did  not 
tend  to  make  them  worse  soldiers,  but  berter  Christians. 
lie  complaisantly  thanked  me,  and  said,  if  I  could  wait, 
he  would  make  the  exercise  as  short  as  possible,  and  give 
an  opportunity  for  another  sermon,  for  which  he  should 
be  much  obliged  to  me.  I  told  him  I  had  an  appoint- 
ment some  miles  off  to  preach  the  next  day.  Thus  end- 
ed  my  chastisement,  and  the  fears  of  my  friends." 


Biography  of  John  Gam.  3 1 3 

"  From  hence  I  returned  by  the  way  of  Ketockton, 
on  Blue-Ridge,  where  the  inhabitants  are  scattered.  On 
my  road,  I  observed  a  thunder-storm  arising,  and  rode 
speedily  for  the  first  house.  When  I  arrived,  the  man 
came  running  into  the  house,  and  seeing  me,  appeared 
much  alarmed  ;  there  beeing  at  that  time  great  demands 
for  men  and  horses  for  Braddock's  army.  He  said  to 
ifle,  "Sir,  are  you  a  press-master?"  I  told  him  I  was. 
"  But,"  said  he,  "  you  do  riot  take  married  men  ?"  I 
told  him  surely  I  did ;  and  that  the  Master  I  wished 
him  to  serve,  was  good,  his  character  unimpeachable, 
the  wages  great,  and  that  it  would  be  for  the  benefit  of 
his  wife  and  children,  if  he  enlisted.  He  made  many 
excuses,  but  I  endeavoured  to  answer  them,  and  begged 
him  to  turn  out  a  volunteer  in  the  service  of  Christ. 
This  calmed  his  fears,  and  I  left  him,  and  proceeded  on 
my  way  to  Ketockton,  where  I  spent  some  time,  and 
baptized  Mr.  Hail." 

From  Ketockton,  Mr.  Gano  proceeded  immediately 
homeward.  Soon  after  his  arrival,  he  was  married  to 
Sarah,  daughter  of  John  Stites,  Esq,  mayor  of  Elizabeth- 
Town,  in  New- Jersey,  by  whom  he  had  many  children, 
most  of  whom  are  yet  living.  Two  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters are  in  Kentucky,  one  son  is  in  Ohio,  one  daughter 
is  at  Hillsdale,  New- York,  and  his  second  son  Stephen  is 
pastor  of  the  church  in  Providence,  Rhode-Island.  Mrs. 
Gano  was  sister  to  Mrs.  Manning,  the  wife  of  the  Presi- 
dent, who  is  yet  living  at  Providence. 

It  was  not  long  after  Mr.  Gano  had  returned  from 
this  journey,  before  he  was  again  induced,  by  repeated 
solicitations,  to  set  out  on  another,  to  the  southward,  in 
which  he  was  gone  about  eight  months,  and  was  happy 
to  find,  in  many  places,  the  fruits  of  his  labours  in  his 
former  visits.  Soon  after  he  returned  from  this  excur- 
sion, he  was  invited  by  an  infant  church  in  North-Caro- 
lina, which  he  had  raised  up  in  a  place  called  the  Jersey 
Settlement,  to  remove  and  become  its  pastor.  Messen- 
gers came  to  Morristown,  a  distance  of  about  eight 
hundred  miles,  for  the  purpose  of  soliciting  that  church 
to  give  him  up.  They  at  first  refused,  but  afterwards 
concluded  to  leave  the  matter  to  his  own  choice.  He 

vol..  2.  4O 


3 14"  Biography  of  Juhn  Gano. 

therefore  concluded  to  go  ;  but  at  the  same  time  inform- 
ed the  Morristown  church,  it  was  not  for  want  of  at- 
tachment to  them.  The  church  in  North-Carolina,  he 
considered,  was  \\hoily  destitute,  and  there  was  besides, 
a  wide  field  for  gospel  labour.  At  the  Jersey  Settlement 
he  continued  about  two  years  ;  the  church  became  large, 
and  his  labours  were  abundantly  useful  throughout  a 
wide  an-d  destitute  region.  But  a  war  breaking  out 
v.  It!i  the  Cherokee  Indians,  he  was  obliged  to  leave  the 
country,  and  returned  to  New-Jersey.  About  this  time 
the  foundation  for  the  first  church  in  New- York  was 
hid  by  Mr.  Miller  of  Scotch  Plains  ;  the  church  in  Phila- 
delphia had  also  been  lately  deprived  of  its  pastor,  by  the 
death  of  Mr.  Jenkiiv  Jones.  Mr.  Gano  preached  for  some 
time  alternately  at  both  cities,  but  about  the  time  the 
church  in  New- York  was  organized,  he  went  to  live 
among  them,  was  chosen  its  pastor,  and  continued  in 
that  office  about  tw  o  years,  excepting  the  time 

he  was  obliged  to  be  absent  on  account  of  the  war. 
Some  account  of  his  ministry  here,  and  of  the  progress 
of  the  church  while  under  his  care,  may  be  found  in  its 
history  under  the  head  of  New-York. 

During  most  of  the  revolutionary  war,  Mr.  Gano 
was  a  chaplain  in  the  army ;  and  by  his  counsels  and 
prayers,  encouraged  the  American  hosts  in  their  strug- 
gles for  freedom  from  the  dominion  of  a  foreign,  oppres- 
sive yoke. 

On  the  return  of  peace,  he  returned  to  his  pastoral 
station,  and  began  to  collect  the  church  which  had  been 
scattered  to  many  different  places.  Out  of  upwards  of 
two  hundred  members,  of  which  it  consisted  at  the  time 
of  its  dispersion,  he  collected  at  first  but  thirty-seven  ; 
but  his  congregation  soon  became  larLie,  others  of  the 

o        O  *J     * 

scattered  flock  came  in,  a  revival  commenced,  which 
prevailed  extensively,  and  at  one  communion  season, 
near  forty  young  persons  were  added  to  their  number. 
In  this  prosperous  manner  this  successful  minister  recom- 
menced his  labours  in  New- York,  and  every  thing  ap- 
peared promising  even  to  the  time  he  projected  his  re- 
moval to  Kentucky.  This  removal  was  as  unexpected 
to  the  church,  as  it  was  surprising  to  his  friends.  His 
reasons  for  it  are  thus  stated  by  himself:  "  One  William 


Biography  of  Job n  C  S1.5 

Wood,  a  Baptist  minister,  camo  from  Kentucky,  and 
gave  a  very  exalted  character  of  the  state  of  it.  Ke 
made  several  encouraging  proposals  to  me  to  go  there, 
faid  there  was  a  prospect  of  usefulness  in  the  ministry, 
the  necessity  of  an  old  experienced  minister  to  take  caiv 
of  a  young  church  there,  and  {Littering  temporal  pn 
poets  for  the  support  of  my  family.  For  these  reasons 
I  concluded  to  remove.  Besides,  I  was  considerably  in 
debt,  and  saw  no  way  of  being  released,  but  by  selling 
my  house  and  lot.  This  I  concluded  would  clear  me, 
and  enable  me  r.o  purchase  waggons  and  horses  to  carry 
me  to  Kentucky,  i  called  a  church-  meet  ing,  and  inform- 
ed them  of  my  intention.  They  treated  it  as  a  chimera, 
and  thought  they  could  stop  me  by  raising  my  sub.ry. 
They,  with  all  possible  coolness,  left  me  to  determine 
for  myself.  I  immediately  determined  to  go,  and  desir- 
ed them  to  look  out  for  a  supply.  This  aroused  them, 
and  they  very  affectionately  urged  me  to  tarry.  1  told 
them,  if  they  had  desired  me  to  stay  before  1  had  put 
it  out  of  my  own  power,  I  should  then  have  given  h 
up."* 

Having  resolved  on  removing,  he  sold  his  estate,  com- 
menced his  journey,  and  on  June  J  7,  1  787,  landed  at 
Limestone,  and  immediately  repaired  to  Washington, 
where  he  tarried  a  while  ;  he  then  went  to  Lexington,  and 
finally  settled  near  Frankfort,  where  he  died  in  J804,  in 
the  78th  year  of  his  age.  The  labours  of  this  aged  min- 
ister were  owned  of  God  for  good  in  Kentucky  ;  but 
there  is  reason  to  believe,  that  neiiher  his  usefulness 
worldly  comforts  were  so  great  as  he  expected.  : 
changes  were  frequent,  and  some  of  them  peculiarly 
trying.  The  encouraging  proposals  made  by  Mr.  Wood, 
appear  not  to  have  been  released.  Kis  wife  was  first 
made  a  cripple  by  a  fall  from  a  horse,  and  soon  after 
moved  from  him  by  death.  By  most  of  the  Kentucky 
brethren  he  was  honoured  and  esteemed,  and  by  all  of 
them  his  death  \vas  much  lamented.  In  1795,  he  made 
a  visit  to  North-Carolina,  where  he  married,  for  his  sec- 
ond wife,  the  widow  of  Capt.  Thomas  Bryant,  and  daugh- 
ter of  Col.  Jonathan  Hunt,  formerly  of  Nc\v- Jersey,  one 

*  This  \vi-!i  thL-  ;uvci:diii£  c-:-:t.v;".cU,  is  made  from  C 
•of  1JO    ;:f*. 


316  Biography  of  John  Gano. 

of  his  old  neighbours  and  unchanging  friends.  In  her 
he  found  an  amiable  help-meet  for  his  declining  years. 
She  had  been  baptized  by  his  son  Stephen,  three  years 
before,  that  is,  in  1790,  when  they  visited  North-Carolina 
together.  She  still  survives  him,  and  resides  at  his  late 
dwelling,  near  Frankfort,  Kentucky.  While  he  was 
waiting  for  this  new  companion  to  arrange  her  affairs  for 
a  removal,  he/visited  Charleston,  South-Carolina,  and 
also  as  far  northward  as  his  son  Stephen's,  in  Providence. 

Mr.  Gano,  though  now  somewhat  impaired  by  age, 
was  still  actively  engaged  in  his  Master's  service  ;  but  in 
1798,  he  had  the  misfortune  to  fall  from  a  horse,  and 
fractured  his  shoulder-blade,  which  deprived  him  of  the 
use  of  one  of  his  arms  for  some  time.  As  he  was  recover- 
ing from  this  affliction,  he  was  very  suddenly  seized  in  his 
bed,  with  a  paralytick  shock,  which  rendered  him  almost 
speechless  for  nearly  a  year.  From  this  shock  he  never 
fully  recovered  ;  but  his  speech  was  restored,  and  he  had 
the  use  of  his  limbs  so  far,  that  he  was  able  to  be  carri- 
ed out  to  meetings,  and  preached  frequently,  especially 
in  the  time  of  the  great  revival,  in  an  astonishing  man- 
ner. While  the  Arian  affair,  mentioned  in  the  history 
of  the  Elkhorn  Association,  was  agitating  the  minds  of 
many  of  the  Kentucky  brethren,  this  able  advocate  for 
gospel  truth  was  carried  to  Lexington,  a«sted  into  the 
pulpit,  where  he  preached  a  masterly  discourse  in  defence 
of  the  proper  Deity  of  the  Saviour,  which  was  thought 
to  have  had  a  considerable  influence-in  checking  the  prev- 
alence of  that  erroneous  system,  which  many  were  pre- 
viously inclined  to  embrace. 

We  shall  now  take  a  review  of  the  history  of  this  dis- 
tinguished man,  and  exhibit  some  of  those  peculiar  traits 
in  his  character,  which  qualified  him  for  such  abundant 
usefulness,  and  rendered  him  so  famous  amongst  the 
American  Baptists.  Mr.  Gano  was  peculiarly  qualified 
for  an  itinerant  preacher.  Ke  possessed,  to  a  singular 
degree,  the  wisdom  of  the  serpent,  with  the  harmlessness 
of  the  dove.  He  had  a  sagacity  and  quickness  of  percep- 
tion, which  but  few  men  possess  ;  he  had  also  a  happy 
facility  in  improving  every  passing  occurrence  to  some 
useful  purpose.  He  could  abash  and  confound  the  op- 
poser,  without  exciting  his  resentment  j  and  administer 


Biography  of  John  Gano.  317 

reproof  and  instruction  where  others  would  be  embar- 
rassed or  silent.  His  memory  was  retentive  ;  his  judg- 
ment was  good  ;  his  wit  was  sprightly,  and  always  aC 
command  ;  his  zeal  was  ardent,  but  well  regulated  ; 
his  courage  undaunted  ;  his  knowledge  of  men  was  ex- 
tensive :  and  to  all  these  accomplishments  were  added  a 
heart  glowing  with  love  to  God  and  men,  and  a  charac- 
ter fair  and  unimpeachable. 

It  is  said  that  Hervey's  servant  declared  his  master 
could  make  a  sermon  out  of  a  pair  of  tongs  ;  and  prob- 
ably not  much  inferior  to  his,  were  the  inventive  powers 
of  Mr.  Gano.  He  did  not,  however,  descend  to  the  ab- 
surd custom  adopted  by  some,  of  choosing  adverbs  and 
prepositions  for  his  texts  ;  but  he  had  a  happy  talent  of 
selecting  passages  of  Scripture  descriptive  of  peculiar  cir- 
cumstances and  passing  events.  We  have  a  specimen  of 
this  in  his  preaching  on  the  island  in  South-Carolina. 
His  friends  relate  many  instances  of  the  same  kind,  a  few 
only  of  which  we  shall  notice.  In  one  of  his  journies  at 
the  southward,  he  travelled  in  company  with  a  young 
preacher,  who  has  since  become  an  eminent  character  in 
that  region.  They  took  different  routes  in  the  day,  but 
were  to  meet  in  the  evening,  and  Mr.  Gano  was  to 
preach.  The  meeting  was  at  a  private  house,  and  he  did 
not  arrive  at  the  place  until  late.  The  young  man  with 
reluctance  began  the  meeting,  and  was  in  prayer  when 
he  came  in.  He  entered  the  assembly  without  being  dis- 
covered, and  took  his  place  among  the  hearers  ;  and  just 
as  it  was  time  to  commence  the  sermon,  he  arose  and  said 
with  emphasis,  I  am  come  !  Then  with  a  common  tone, 
/  am  come,  that  they  might  have  life,  and  that  they  might  have 
it  more  abundantly r,  John  x.  1C,  and  immediately  proceed- 
ed on  in  his  discourse. 

In  going  down  the  Ohio  river,  on  his  removal  to  Ken- 
tucky, he  arid  his  companions  met  with  much  trouble 
on  their  passage  j  one  of  his  boats  was  overset,  and  some 
valuable  things  were  lost.  Soon  after  they  landed  in 
Kentucky,  he  preached  from  these  words,  So  they  all  got 
safe  to  land. 

While  in  the  army,  he  was  informed  by  the  General 
on  Saturday  that  they  should  march  the  next  Monday, 
but  was  requested  not  to  mention  the  matter  until  after 
sermon  the  next  day.  This  circumstance  suggested  te 


Biography  if  John  Gems. 

his- mind  these  words,  Being  ready  to  depart  on  the  rm 
from  which  he  preached,  and  as  soon  as  he  had  done,  the 
orders  were  given. 

The  funeral  of  Gen.  M'DougaL  a  famous  character 
in  New-York,  was  appointed  on  a  Lord's-day  at  so  early 
an  hour,  that  there  was  but  little  time  for  the  afternoon 
service.  The  people  generally,  out  of  respect  to  their 
illustrious  citizen,  were  preparing  to  attend  his  funeral. 
Some  congregations  did  not  meet,  but  Mr.  Gano's  did  ; 
and  he  addressed  them  hastily  from  these  words,  Breth- 
ren^ the  time  u  j/. •;;-/.  Having  respect  to  the  General's 
death,  lie  from  this  short  passage,  preached  a  short  but 
well-adapted  discourse,  and  dismissed  the  assembly  soon 
enough  to  join  the  procession. 

He  had  an  art  peculiar  to  himself  of  accommodating 
such  passages  to  particular  events.  His  inventive  powers 
were  adequate  to  forming  profitable  discourses  from 
almost  any  passage  of  Scripture  at  the  shortest  notice, 
and  through  the  whole  of  his  ministry,  he  frequently 
indulged  this  inimitable  faculty.  The  first  sermon  he 
preached  after  his  son  Stephen  visited  him  in  Kentucky, 
was  from  these  words,  /  am  glad  of  the  coming  of  Ste- 
pha?ias^  &c. 

Mr.  Gano  was  personally  known  almost  throughout 
the  United  States  ;  and  a  multitude  of  anecdotes  are  told 
respecting  him,  a  few  only  of  which  we  shall  be  able  to 
record. 

In  one  of  his  jou  rules  at  the  southward,  he  called  at  a 
house  and  asked  for  some  corn  for  his  horse,  which  the 
landlord  ordered  his  little  son  to  carry.  He  then  in- 
quired if  he  was  not  a  minister,  and  being  answered  in 
the  affirmative,  replied,  "  I  have  a  child  1  want  to  get 
baptized  ;  I  have  been  waiting  a  long  time  for  a  prie;>t 
to  come  along,  and  shall  now  wish  to  have  it  done." 
Mr.  Gano  gave  him  to  understand  that  any  service  he 
could  afford  him,  should  be  cheerfully  granted.  The  boy 
stood  staring  at  the  priest,  and  neglected  his  errand.  Mr. 
Gano  mentioned  about  his  horse  again.  "  You  son  of  a 
b — h,"  said  the  father,  "  why  don't  you  feed  that  horse, 
as  I  told  you."  The  boy  then  did  as  he  was  bid,  and 
his  father  began  again  to  talk  about  his  child.  "  What," 
said  Mr.  Gano,  *'  do  you  mean  to  call  it  ?  That  boy, 


Biography  of  John  Gant.  $  I  <> 

I  perceive,  is  named,  Son  of  a  b — h"  After  this  singular 
rebuke,  nothing  more  was  said  about  the  christening  of 
the  child. 

After  preaching  once  in  Virginia,  in  a  place  notoriously 
wicked,  two  young  fellows,  supposing  he  had  levelled 
his  censures  against  them,  came  up  and  dared  him  to 
light.  "  That  is  not  the  way,"  said  he,  "  that  I  defend 
my  sentiments  ;  but  if  you  choose  it,  I  will  fight  you,  eith- 
er both  at  once,  or  one  after  the  other  ;  but  as  I  have  to 
preach  again  very  soon,  I  shall  wish  to  put  it  off  till  after 
the  meeting ;"  to  which  they  agreed.  As  soon  as  the 
meeting  was  closed,  he  called  the  presumptuous  youths 
forward,  and  told  them  he  was  now  ready  to  light  them. 
The  eyes  of  all  were  fastened  upon  them  ;  yet  notwith- 
standing, they  had  the  hardihood  to  present  themselves  for 
the  combat.  "  If,"  said  he,  "  I  must  fight  you,  I  shall 
choose  to  do  it  in  some  more  retired  place,  and  not  be- 
fore all  these  people."  With  that  he  walked  off,  and 
bid  the  young  men  follow  him.  He  then  commenced 
tiic  attack  in  the  following  manner  :  "  Young  gentle- 
men, you  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  your  conduct.  What 
reason  have  you  to  suppose  that  I  had  a  particular  refer- 
ence to  you  ?  I  am  an  entire  stranger  here,  and  know  not 
the  names  nor  characters  of  any.  You  have  proved  by 
your  conduct,  that  you  are  guilty  of  the  vices  I  have  cen- 
sured ;  and  if  you  feel  so  much  disturbed  at  my  reproofs, 
how  will  you  stand  before  the  bar  of  God  ?"  "I  beg 
your  pardon,"  said  one  ;  "  I  beg  your  pardon,'*  said  the 
other  ;  "  I  am  sorry."  "  If  you  arc  beat,  gentlemen,  we 
will  go  back  ;"  and  thus  ended  the  battle. 

While  in  the  army,  Mr.  Gano  had  frequent  opportu- 
nities of  administering  reproof  in  his  skilful  and  forcible 
manner.  One  morning,  as  he  was  going  to  pray  with 
the  regiment,  he  passed  by  a  group  of  officers,  one  of 
whom,  (who  had  his  back  towards  him)  was  uttering  his. 
profane  expressions  in  a  most  rapid  manner.  The  ofli- 
cers,  one  after  another,  gave  him  the  usual  salutation, 
"  Good  morning,  Doctor,"*  said  the  swearing  Lieuten- 
ant. "  Good  morning,  Sir,"  replied  the  chaplain  ;  "  you 
pray  early  this  morning."  "  1  beg  your  pardon,  Sir." 
"  0, 1  cannot  pardon  you  ;  carry  your  case  to  your  God." 

*  The  ofiicsTs  generally  c^'iplim vnto>1  Mr.  Gano  wi'.h  th>- 


320  Biography  of  John  Gano. 

One  day  he  was  standing  near  some  soldiers  who  \verc 
disputing  whose  turn  it  was  to  cut  some  wood  for  the  fire. 

One  profanely  said  he  would  be  d d  if  he  would  cut  it. 

But  he  was  soon  after  convinced  that  the  task  belonged 
to  him,  and  took  up  the  axe  to  perform  it.  Before  he 
commenced,  Mr.  Gano  stepped  up  to  him,  and  said, 
"  Give  me  the  axe."  "  O  no,"  replied  the  soldier,  "  the 
chaplain  shan't  cut  wood."  "  Yes,"  said  he,  "  I  must." 
"  But  why  ?"  said  the  soldier.  "  The  reason  is,  I  just 

heard  you  say  that  you  would  be  d d  if  you  would  cut 

it  ;  and  I  had  rather  take  the  labour  off  your  hands,  than 
that  you  should  be  made  miserable  forever." 

While  this  singular  man  resided  in  New- York,  he  was 
introduced  to  a  young  lady,  as  the  only  daughter  of  Es- 
quire W .  "  Ah,"  replied  he,  "  and  I  can  tell  a  good 

match  for  her,  and  he  is  an  only  Son."  The  young  lady 
understood  his  meaning  :  she  was,  not  long  after,  united  to 
this  Son,  and  has,  for  about  forty  years,  been  an  ornament 
to  his  cause, 

In  one  of  his  journies,  he  was  informed  that  there  had 
been  a  revival  of  religion  in  a  certain  place,  which  lay  on 
his  route.  He  arrived  there  in  the  night,  and  called  at  a 
house,  of  which  he  had  no  previous  knowledge.  A  wo- 
man came  to  the  door,  whom  he  addressed  as  follows  : 
"  I  have  understood,  madam,  that  my  Father  has  some 
children  in  this  place  ;  I  wish  to  inquire  where  they  live, 
that  I  may  find  lodgings  to-night."  "  I  hope,"  replied 
the  woman,  "  I  am  one  of  your  Father's  children  ;  come 
in,  dear  Sir,  and  lodge  here." 

The  following  summary  view  of  the  character  of  our 
venerable  Sire,  was  drawn  in  consequence  of  a  particular 
request,  by  Dr.  Richard  Furman,  of  Charleston,  South- 
Carolina,  who  was  personally  acquainted  with  him  in 
different  stages  of  his  life. 

"  The  late  Rev.  John  Gano  will  be  long  remembered 
with  affection  and  respect  in  the  United  States  of  Ameri- 
ca. Here  was  his  character  formed  ;  and  here,  as  on  a 
conspicuous  theatre,  were  the  actions  of  his  amiable, 
pious  and  useful  life  exhibited. 

44 He  was,  in  person,  below  the  middle  stature;  and 
when  young,  of  a  slender  form  ;  but  of  a  firm,  vigorous 
constitution,  well  fitted  for  performing  active  services 


Biography  of  John  Gano.  321 

with  ease,  and  for  suffering  labours  and  privations  with 
constancy.  In  the  more  advanced  stages  of  life  his  body 
tended  to  corpulency  ;  but  not  to  such  a  degree  as  to 
burden  or^render  him  inactive.  His  presence  was  manly, 
open,  and  engaging.  His  voice  strong  and  commanding, 
yet  agreeable,  and  capable  of  all  those  inflections,  which 
are  suited  to  express  either  the  strong  or  tender  emo- 
tions of  an  intelligent,  feeling  mind.  In  mental  endow- 
ments and  acquired  abilities  he  appeared  highly  respecta- 
ble :  with  clear  conception  and  penetrating  discernment, 
he  formed,  readily,  a  correct  judgment  of  men  and 
things.  His  acquaintance  with  the  learned  languages 
and  science,  did  not  commence  till  he  arrived  at  man- 
hood, and  was  obtained  chiefly  by  private  instruction, 
but  under  the  direction  of  a  clerical  gentleman,  well 
qualified  for  the  office.  To  the  refinements  of  learning 
he  did  not  aspire  ;  his  chief  object  was  such  a  competent 
acquaintance  with  its  principles,  as  would  enable  him  to 
apply  them  with  advantage  to  purposes  of  general  use- 
fulness in  religion,  and  to  the  most  important  interests 
of  society  ;  and  to  this  he  attained. 

"  His  mind  was  formed  for  social  intercourse,  and  for 
friendship.  Such  was  his  unaffected  humility,  candour, 
and  good  will  to  men,  that  few,  if  any,  have  enjoyed 
more  satisfaction  in  the  company  of  his  friends,  or  have, 
in  return,  afforded  them,  by  their  conversation,  a  higher- 
degree  of  pleasure  and  moral  improvement. 

"  His  passions  were  strong,  and  his  sensibility  could  be 
easily  excited  ;  but  so  chastened  and  regulated  were  they 
by  the  meekness  of  wisdom,  that  he  preserved  great  com- 
posure of  spirit,  and  command  of  his  words  and  actions, 
even  in  times  of  trial  and  provocation,  when  many,  who 
yet  might  justly  rank  with  the  wise  and  good,  would  be 
thrown  into  a  state  of  perturbation,  and  hurried  into 
extravagance. 

"  As  a  minister  of  Christ,  he  shone  like  a  star  of  the 
first  magnitude  in  the  American  churches,  and  moved  in 
a  widely  extended  field  of  action.  For  this  office  God 
had  endowed  him  with  a  large  portion  of  grace,  and  with 
excellent  gifts.  "  He  believed,  and  therefore  spake" 
Having  discerned  the  excellence  of  gospel  truths,  and 
the  importance  of  eternal  realities,  he  felt  their  power 

VOL.  2.  41 


Biography  of  John  Gant. 

on  his  own  soul,  and  accordingly  he  inculcated  and  urged 
them  on  the  minds  of  his  hearers  with  persuasive  elo- 
quence and  force.  He  was  not  deficient  in  doctrinal  dis- 
cussion, or  what  rhetoricians  style  the  demonstrative 
character  of  a  discourse ;  but  he  excelled  in  the  pathet- 
ic, in  pungent,  forcible  addresses  to  the  heart  and  con- 
science. The  careless  and  irreverent  were  suddenly  ar- 
rested, and  stood  awed  before  him  ;  and  the  insensible 
were  made  to  feel,  while  he  asserted  and  maintained  the 
honour  of  his  God,  explained  the  meaning  of  the  divine 
law,  shewing  its  purity  and  justice  ;  exposed  the  sinner's 
guilt  ;  proved  him  to  be  miserable,  ruined,  and  inexcus- 
able, and  called  him  to  unfeigned,  immediate  repentance. 
But  he  was  not  less  a  son  of  consolation  to  the  mourn- 
ing sinner,  who  lamented  his  offences  committed  against 
God,  who  felt  the  plague  of  a  corrupt  heart,  and  longed 
for  salvation  ;  nor  did  he  fail  to  speak  a  word  of  direc- 
tion, support  and  comfort,  in  due  season,  to  the  tried, 
tempted  believer.  He  knew  how  to  publish  the  glad 
tidings  of  salvation  in  the  Redeemer's  name,  for  the  con- 
solation of  all  who  believed  in  him,  or  had  discovered 
their  need  of  his  mediation  and  grace  ;  and  to  him  this 
was  a  delightful  employment.  Success  attended  his  min- 
istrations, and  many  owned  him  for  their  father  in  the 
gospel. 

^  The  doctrines  he  embraced  were  those  which  are 
contained  in  the  Baptist  Confession  of  Faith,  and  are 
commonly  styled  Calvinistick.  But  he  was  of  a  liberal 
mind,  and  esteemed  pious  men  of  every  denomination. 
While  he  maintained  with  consistent  firmness,  the  doc- 
trines which  he  believed  to  be  the  truths  of  God,  he  was 
modest  in  the  judgment  which  he  formed  of  his  own 
opinion,  and  careful  to  avoid  giving  offence,  or  grieving 
any  good  man,  who  differed  from  him  in  sentiment. 
Hence,  he  was  cordially  esteemed  and  honoured  by  the 
•wise  and  good  of  all  denominations.* 

*  An  honourable  testimony  was  borne  to  his  ministerial  abilities  and  service, 
by  a  respectable  clergyman  of  the  Episcopal  church,  who  had  made  extensive 
observations  on  publics,  characters.  After  going  to  hear  him,  perhaps  at  dif- 
ferent times,  while  he  was  employed  in  the  regular  course  of  service  in  his 
own  church,  in  the  city  of  New-York,  this  clergyman  noted  in  his  journal, 
"that  he  thought  Mr.  Gano  possessed  the  best  pulpit  talents  of  any  man  he 
had  ever  heard."  This  anecdote  was  received  from  the  Rev.  Dr.  Bowen,  of 
-York,  whose  father  was  the  clergyman  referred  to. 

Dr.  Wurman's  Letter. 


Biography  cf  Oliver  Hart.  .'523 

"  His  attachment  to  his  country  as  a  citizen,  was  unshak- 
en, in  the  times  which  tried  men's  souls ;  and  as  a  chap- 
lain  in  the  army,  for  a  term  of  years,  while  excluded 
from  his  church  and  home,  he  rendered  it  essential  ser- 
vice. Preserving  his  moral  dignity  with  the  purity  which 
becomes  a  gospel  minister,  he  commanded  respect  from 
the  officers  ;  and  by  his  condescension  and  kindness,  won 
the  affections  of  the  soldiers,  inspiring  them  by  his  exam- 
ple, with  his  own  courage  and  firmness,  while  toiling  with 
them  through  military  scenes  of  hardship  and  danger. 

"  He  lived  to  a  good  old  age  ;  served  his  generation  ac- 
cording to  the  will  of  God  ;  saw  his  posterity  multiplying 
around  him  ;  his  country  independent,  free  and  happy  $ 
the  church  of  Christ,  for  which  he  felt  and  laboured, 
advancing ;  and  thus  he  closed  his  eyes  in  peace  ;  his 
heart  expanding  with  the  sublime  hope  of  immortality 
and  heavenly  bliss. 

"  Like  John,  the  harbinger  of  our  Redeemer,  fi  he 
was  a  burning  and  a  shining  light,  and  many  rejoiced  in 
his  light."  Resembling  the  sun,  he  arose  in  the  church 
with  morning  brightness,  advanced  regularly  to  his  sta- 
tion of  meridian  splendour,  and  then  gently  declined  with 
mild  effulgence,  till  he  disappeared,  without  a  cloud  to 
intercept  his  rays,  or  obscure  his  glory." 


f  The  following  biographical  sketches  cf  that  excellent  man  -\vlio  is  the  subject 
of  them,  have  been  selected  from  two  funeral  sermons,  -which  were  preach- 
ed soon  after  his  decease  ;  the  one  by  Dr.  Richard  Furman,  his  successor  in 
the  pastoral  care  of  the  Ekptist  church,  in  Charleston  (S.  C.)  and  the  other 
by  Dr.  William  Rogers,  of  Philadelphia,  Some  assistance  in  the  compilation 
has  been  derived  from  the  History  of  the  Charleston  Association  by  Mr. 
Wood  Furman.] 

OLIVER  HART,  A.  M.  was  born  of  reputable  parents, 
in  Warminster  township,  Bucks  county,  Pennsylvania, 
July  5,  1723.  His  attention  to  religion,  and  conversion 
to  God,  were  at  an  early  period  of  his  life  ;  for  he  made 
a  publick  profession  of  religion  at  Southampton,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  was -received  a  member  of  the  church  in 
that  place  in  1741,  in  the  18th  year  of  his  age  ;  having 
been  previously  baptized  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jenkin  Jones. 
At  that  time,  the  power  of  religion  was  greatly  display- 
ed in  various  parts  of  this  continent,  under  the  minis- 


324  Biography  of  Oliver  Hart. 

try  of  those  eminent  servants  of  Christ,  Rev.  George 
Whiteiiekl,  of  the  Episcopal  church,  the  Tennants,  EcU 
wa.'ls,  and  their  associates  of  the  Presbyterian  and  Con- 
gregational churches  ;  and  of  the  Rev.  Abel  Morgan, 
and  others  of  the  Baptist  church.  Several  of  these,  Mr. 
Hart,  at  this  time,  used  to  hear  ;  and  has  since  professed 
to  have  received  much  benefit  from  their  preaching, 
particularly  from  Mr.  Whitefield's. 

Five  years  after  making  his  publick  profession  of 
religion,  on  the  2Oth  of  December,  1746,  he  was  licen- 
sed to  preach,  by  the  church  with  which  he  first  united  ; 
and  on  the  18th  of  October,  1749,  was  ordained  to  the 
great  work  of  the  gospel  ministry. 

The  call  for  ministers  in  the  southern  States  being- 
great  at  that  time,  and  the  church  at  Charleston  (S.  C.) 
being  destitute,  he  was  induced,  immediately  after  his 
ordination,  to  set  out  for  that  city,  where  he  arrived 
early  in  December,  on  the  very  day  the  famous  Mr. 
Chanler,  pastor  of  the  church  at  Ashley  River,  then  the 
only  ordained  minister  of  the  Baptist  denomination  in 
that  part  of  the  country,  and  who  had  preached  part  of 
his  time  for  the  church  in  Charleston,  as  a  supply,  was 
buried.  The  Charleston  church,  in  her  destitute  situa- 
tion, had  made  applications,  both  to  Europe  and  the 
northern  States,  for  a  suitable  minister  ;  and  one  who 
had  been  described  as  such  was  actually  expected  :  but 
the  unexpected  coming  of  Mr.  Hart  was  considered  as 
directed  by  a  special  providence  ;  and  so  great  was  the 
satisfaction  of  the  church,  on  hearing  him,  that  he  was 
immediately  invited  to  take  the  pastoral  charge  of  them  ; 
with  which  he  was  accordingly  invested  on  the  1 6th  of 
February  following. 

For  thirty  years  from  this  period,  he  executed  the 
office  of  pastor  of  that  church,  as  a  faithful,  evangelick 
minister  of  Christ,  passing  through  a  variety  of  scenes 
both  of  joy  and  depression  ;  but  exhibiting,  at  all  times, 
an  uprightness  and  dignity,  both  of  temper  and  conduct, 
becoming  his  religious  and  sacred  character.  His  life 
was  exemplary,  and  his  usefulness  conspicuous.  But  on 
the  approach  of  the  British  fleet  and  army,  to  which 
Charleston  was  surrendered  in  1780,  being  justly  appre- 
hensive of  the  consequences  which  resulted  from  the 


Biography  of  Oliver  Hart.  325 

siege,  and  desiring  to  preserve  his  political  liberty,  with 
which  lie  found  his  religious  intimately  connected,  he  re- 
tired to  the  northern  States.  There  the  attention  of 
the  Baptist  church  at  Hopewell,  in  the  State  of  New-Jer- 
sey, was  soon  attracted  towards  him,  and  in  consequence 
of  a  pressing  invitation  from  them,  he  became  their  pas- 
tor on  the  16th  of  December  the  same  year,  and  served 
them  in  that  capacity,  the  last  fifteen  years  of  his  valua^ 
ble  life. 

For  some  years  towards  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  the 
infirmities  of  age,  and  several  severe  attacks  of  different 
diseases,  had  greatly  reduced  his  bodily  strength,  and 
disqualified  him  for  the  constant  performance  of  publick 
duties  ;  and  on  the  31st  of  December,  1795,  in  the  73d 
year  of  his  age,  he  surrendered  his  soul  into  the  hands 
of  his  God  and  Redeemer. 

"  To  those  of  you,  my  dear  hearers,  (says  Dr.  Furman 
in  his  funeral  sermon)  who  enjoyed  the  honour  and  happi- 
ness of  an  acquaintance  with  the  venerable  deceased,  an 
account  of  his  character  is  unnecesary  ;  it  shone  conspic- 
uously in  your  view.  But  to  the  younger  part  of  my 
audience,  and  to  those  friends  who  have  come  lately 
among  us,  it  may  afford  useful  information. 

"In  his  person  he  was  somewhat  tall,  well  propor- 
tioned, and  of  a  graceful  appearance  ;  of  an  active, 
vigorous  constitution,  before  it  had  been  impaired  by 
close  application  to  his  studies,  and  by  his  abundant  la- 
bours ;  his  countenance  was  open  and  manly  ;  his  voice 
clear,  harmonious  and  commanding  ;  the  powers  of  his 
mind  were  strong  and  capacious,  and  enriched  by  a  fund 
of  useful  knowledge  ;  his  taste  was  elegant  and  refined. 
Though  he  had  not  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  a  collegi- 
ate education,  nor  indeed  much  assistance  from  any  per- 
sonal instruction,  such  was  his  application,  that  by  pri- 
vate study  he  obtained  a  considerable  acquaintance  with 
classical  learning,  and  explored  the  fields  of  science  ;  so 
that  in  the  year  1709,  the  college  of  Rhode-Island,  in 
honour  to  his  literary  merit,  conferred  on  him  the  degree 
of  master  in  the  liberal  arts. 

"  But  as  a  Christian  and  Divine,  his  character  was  most 
conspicuous  ;  no  person  who  heard  his  pious,  experi- 
mental discourses,  or  his  affectionate,  fervent  addresse-s 


326  Biography  of  Oliver  Hart. 

to  God  in  prayer  ;  who  beheld  the  zeal  and  constancy 
he  manifested  in  the  publick  exercises  of  religion,  or  the 
disinterestedness,  humility,  benevolence,  charity,  devo- 
tion, and  equanimity  of  temper  he  discovered  on  all  oc- 
casions in  the  private  walks  of  life,  could  for  a  moment 
doubt  of  his  being  not  only  truly,  but  eminently  religious. 
He  possessed  in  a  large  measure  the  moral  and  social  vir- 
tues, and  had  a  mind  formed  for  friendship.  In  all  his 
relative  connexions,  as  husband,  father,  brother,  master, 
he  acted  with  the  greatest  propriety,  and  was  endeared 
to  those  who  were  connected  with  him  in  the  tender  ties. 

"From  a  part  of  his  diary  now  in  my  possession,  it 
appears  that  he  took  more  than  ordinary  pains  to  walk 
humbly  and  faithfully  with  God  ;  to  live  under  impres- 
sions of  the  love  of  Christ ;  to  walk  in  the  light  of  the 
divine  presence  ;  and  to  improve  all  his  time  and  oppor- 
tunities to  the  noblest  purposes  of  religion  and  virtue. 

"  In  his  religious  principles,  he  was  a  fixed  Calvinist, 
and  a  consistent,  liberal  Baptist.  The  doctrines  of  free, 
efficacious  grace,  were  precious  to  him  ;  Christ  Jesus,  and 
him  crucified,  in  the  perfection  of  his  righteousness,  the 
merit  of  his  death,  the  prevalence  of  his  intercession, 
and  efficacy  of  his  grace,  was  the  foundation  of  his  hope, 
the  source  of  Ms  joy,  and  the  delightful  theme  of  his 
preaching. 

"  His  sermons  were  peculiarly  serious,  containing  a 
happy  assemblage  of  doctrinal  and  practical  truths,  set 
in  an  engaging  light,  and  enforced  with  convincing  ar- 
guments. For  the  discussion  of  doctrinal  truths,  he  was 
more  especially  eminent,  to  which  also  he  was  prepared, 
by  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  sacred  Scriptures, 
and  an  extensive  reading  of  the  most  valuable,  both  of 
ancient  and  modern  authors.  His  eloquence,  at  least  in 
the  middle  stages  of  life,  was  not  of  the  most  popular- 
kind,  but  perspicuous,  manly,  and  flowing  ;  such  as  af- 
forded pleasure  to  persons  of  true  taste,  and  edification 
to  the  serious  hearer. 

"  With  these  various  qualifications  for  usefulness,  he 
possessed  an  ardent  desire  to  be  as  useful  as  possible  ; 
which  cannot  be  better  represented  than  in  his  own 
words,  as  recorded  in  the  diary  before  referred  to,  and 
which  comprehends  a  part  of  his  life,  when  the  power 


Biography  of  Oliver  Hart.  32? 

of  divine  grace  was  eminently  displayed  in  this  church. 
The  article  here  selected  was  written  just  before  that 
work  of  grace  began,  and  exemplifies  in  him  the  pious 
Christian,  as  well  as  the  faithful  Divine. 

"  Monday,  Aug.  5,  1754.  I  do  this  morning  feel  my- 
self  oppressed  under  a  sense  of  my  barrenness.  Alas  I 
what  do  I  for  God  ?  I  am,  indeed,  employed  in  his  vine- 
yard ;  but  I  fear  to  little  purpose.  I  feel  the  want  of  the 
life  and  power  of  religion  in  my  own  heart :  this  causes 
such  a  languor  in  all  my  duties  to  God — this  makes  me 
so  poor  an  improver  of  time.  Alas  !  I  am  frequently  on 
my  bed,  to  my  shame,  when  I  ought  to  be  on  my  knees. 
Sometimes  the  sun  appears  in  the  horizon,  and  begins 
his  daily  course,  before  I  have  paid  my  tribute  of  praise 
to  God  ;  and,  perhaps,  while  I  am  indulging  myself  in 
inactive  slumbers.  Oh,  wretched  stupidity  !  Oh,  that, 
for  time  to  come,  I  may  become  more  active  for  God  ! 
I  would  this  morning  resolve,  before  thee,  O  God,  and 
in  thy  name  and  strength,  to  devote  myself  more  unre- 
servedly to  thy  service  than  I  have  hitherto  done :  I 
would  resolve  to  be  a  better  improver  of  my  time,  than 
I  have  hertofore  been  ;  to  rise  earlier  in  the  morning ; 
to  be  sooner  with  thee  in  secret  devotion ;  and  oh,  that 
I  may  be  more  devout  therein !  I  would  be  more  en- 
gaged in  my  studies,  Grant,  O  Lord,  that  I  may  im- 
prove more  by  them  !  And  when  I  go  abroad,  enable 
me  better  to  improve  my  visits,  that  I  may  always  leave 
a  savour  of  divine  things  behind  me.  When  I  go  to  thy 
house  to  speak  for  thee,  may  I  always  go  full  fraught 
with  things  divine,  and  be  enabled  faithfully  and  feeling- 
ly to  dispense  the  word  of  life.  I  would  begin  and  end 
every  day  with  thee.  Teach  me  to  study  thy  glory  in 
all  I  do.  And  wilt  thou  be  with  me  also  in  the  night 
watches.  Teach  me  to  meditate  of  thee  on  my  bed. 
May  my  sleep  be  sanctified  to  me,  that  I  may  thereby 
be  fitted  to  thy  service,  nor  ever  desire  more  than  an- 
swers to  this  important  end.  Thus  teach  me  to  number 
my  days,  that  I  may  apply  my  heart  unto  wisdom." 

"  These  virtuous  resolutions  and  pious  breathings  of 
soul,  were  seconiled  by  becoming  exertions,  both  of  a  pub- 
lick  and  private  nature,  in  his  own  congregation  ;  and 
by  correspondent  labours  in  churches  abroad  ;  nor  were 


328  li'ugraphy  of  Oliver  Hart. 

they  without  success.  Many  owned  him  as  their  father 
in  the  gospel  ;  among  these  are  two  distinguished  and 
useful  ministers,  who  survive  him,  and  shine  as  diffusive 
lights  in  the  church.*  These  were  not  only  awakened 
under  his  preaching,  but  introduced  also  by  him  into  a 
course  of  study,  for  the  ministry. 

"  The  formation  of  a  society  in  this  city,  to  assist  pious 
young  men  in  obtaining  education  for  the  publick  services 
of  the  church,  and  which  has  been  of  use  to  several, 
originated  with  him  ;  and  he  was  a  prime  mover  in  that 
plan  for  the  association  of  churches,  by  which  so  many 
of  our  churches  are  very  happily  united  at  the  present 
day.  To  him  also,  in  conjunction  with  his  beloved  and 
amiable  friends,  now  I  trust  with  God,  Rev.  Francis  Pe- 
lot,  and  Mr.  David  Williams,  is  that  valuable  work  of 
pubiick  utility,  the  System  of  Church  Discipline,  to  be  as- 
cribed. His  printed  sermons  have  contributed  to  the 
general  interest  of  religion,  and  his  extensive  regular 
correspondence,  has  been  the  means  of  conveying  ration- 
al pleasure  and  religious  improvement  to  many. 

"  To  all  which  may  be  added,  his  usefulness  as  a  citi- 
zen of  America.  Prompt  in  his  judgment,  ardent  in  his 
love  of  liberty,  and  rationally  jealous  for  the  rights  of  his 
country  ;  he  took  an  early  and  decided  part  in  those 
measures,  which  led  our  patriots  to  successful  opposition 
against  the  encroachments  of  arbitrary  power  ;  and 
brought  us  to  possess  all  the  blessings  of  our  happy  inde- 
pendence. Yet  he  did  not  mix  politicks  with  the  gospel, 
nor  desert  the  duties  of  his  station  to  pursue  them  ;  but 
attending  to  each  in  its  proper  place,  he  gave  weight  to 
his  political  sentiments,  by  the  propriety  and  uprightness 
of  his  conduct ;  and  the  influence  of  it  was  felt  by  many. 

"  But  this  amiable  and  excellent  man  has  now  finish- 
ed his  course,  and  is  gone  to  render  an  account  of  his 
stewardship  to  his  Lord  and  Master,  to  whom  he  knew 
he  was  accountable  for  his  various  gifts  and  graces,  and 
whom  to  serve  and  honour  was  his  delightful  employ. 
On  such  an  occasion  we  are  ready  to  exclaim  with  Eii- 
sha,  when  he  beheld  the  ascending  prophet,  "  My  father  ! 

*  Rev.  Ur.  Stillman, ot'  Boston,  whose  praise  is  in  all  the  churches;  and  Kev. 
Mr.  Botsiurd,  among;  ourselves.  To  these  may  be  addevl  a  third,  Mr.  Iv.v;u. 
who  succeeds  Mr.  Ilart,  as  pastor  of  the  chui-ch  at  Hope -.veil,  April  8th,  179tj. 


Biography  of  Oliver  Hart.  329 

sny  father  !  the  chariot  of  Israel  and  the  horsemen  there- 
of !"  Our  beloved  friend  is  removed  from  the  world  j 
and  all  those  among  whom  he  once  went  preaching 
the  gospel  of  Christy  shall,  in  the  flesh,  see  his  face 
no  more.  May  Heaven  support  his  pious,  weeping 
widow,  so  greatly  bereaved  ;  and  may  indulgent  Provi- 
dence and  grace  provide  for  the  youth  who  is  left  as  the 
son  of  his  old  age  !" 

The  following  account  of  Mr.  Hart's  last  illness  and 
death  is  found  in  a  note  in  Dr.  Rogers's  funeral  sermon. 

"For  many  months  previous  to  his  death,  he  repeat- 
edly said,  that  he  viewed  himself  as  a  dying  man.  A  few 
days  after  he  was  taken  with  his  last  illness,  and  while 
he  was  able  to  walk  about  the  room,  he  called  for  his 
Will,  gave  it  to  a  friend,  and  desired  him  to  get  his  re- 
mains conveyed  to  Southampton,  the  family  burying- 
place.  It  was  with  such  difficulty  at  this  time  that  he 
drew  his  breath,  and  the  agony  he  was  in,  was  so  great, 
that  he  said,  he  should  not  think  it  strange  if  he  should 
go  into  convulsions.  The  struggle  for  breath  broke  a 
vessel,  and  he  spat  a  quantity  of  blood  ;  yet  not  a  mur- 
mur or  undue  complaint !  He  would  frequently  lift  up 
his  hands  and  say,  "  Poor  mortal  man  !"  A  friend  once 
replied,  "  This  mortal  shall  put  on  immortality" — he  an- 
swered, "  Yes  !  yes !"  He  would  often  say,  "  I  want,  I 
want !"  Being  asked  what  he  wanted  ?  "  I  want  the  will 
of  the  Lord  to  be  done  !"  The  Rev.  Mr.  Van  Hornc 
called  to  see  him  ;  he  asked  him  if  he  felt  comfortable  ; 
he  replied,  "  God  is  an  all-sufficient  Saviour  !" 

"  A  person,  who  at  one  time  was  sitting  by,  and  ob- 
serving his  great  bodily  distress,  said,  "  How  happy  for 
Mr.  Hart,  that  he  has  but  one  work  to  do !"  Dying  was 
meant.  He  immediately  replied,  "  Christ  is  the  end  of 
the  lav/  for  righteousness  to  every  one  that  believeth  !'* 

DJC.  '20.  He  called  for  all  around  him,  to  help  him. 
praise  thz  Lord  for  what  he  had  done  for  his  soul.  Being 
told  he  would  soon  join  the  company  of  saints  and  angels, 
he  replied,  "  Enough,  enough  1" 

Dec.  30.  His  cough  and  spitting  of  blood  increased, 
and  every  breath  was  accompanied  with  a  groan.  When, 
he  dred,  he  just  put  his  head  a  little  back,  closed  his  eyes 
is  if  he  were  going  into  a  sleep,  and  expired  !" 

VOL.  2.  42 


33O'  Biography  of  Samuel  Harris. 

Mr.  Hart  was  twice  married  ;  his  first  wife  was  Miss 
Sarah  Brecs,  by  whom  he  had  eight  children,  all  of  whom 
were  dead,  except  two,  in  1790,  and  the^e  members  of 
the  church  in  Charleston  (S.  C.)  His  second  wife  was 
Mrs.  Anne  Grimball,  relict  of  Mr.  Charles  Grimball  of 
South-Carolina,  by  whom  he  had  two  n>ns  ;  the  first  died 
young;  the  other,  who  e  name  is  William  Rogers,*  is 
living  in  South-Carolina. 

Several  sermons  and  other  compositions  of  Mr.  Mart's 
have  appeared  in  print,  viz.  Dancing  Exploded  ;  A  Fu- 
neral Discourse,  occasioned  by  the  death  of  the  Rev. 
William  Termant  ;  The  Christian  Temple  ;  A  Circular 
Letter  on  Christ's  Mediatorial  Character  ;  America's 
Remembrancer  ;  and  A  Gospel  Church  pourtrayed.  Be- 
sides these,  he  has  left  in  manuscript  many  valuable  dis- 
courses on  publick  and  common  occabions,  exclusive  of 
other  writings. 

For  a  time  during  his  ministry  in  Charleston,  Mr. 
Hart  suffered  a  ('i-tressing  trial,  in  consequence  of  an  at- 
tempt to  supplant  him  in  the  pastoral  ollice,  and  place 
in  his  room  Mr.  Bedgegood,  who  was  then  his  assistant, 
and  possessed  popular  talents,  though  not  free  from 
blemishes  of  character.  His  conscientious  opposition 
was  by  some  attributed  to  envy  ;  and  on  the  failure  of 
the  plan,  several  of  the  wealthier  members  withdrew. 

Mr.  Hart  was  zealous  and  active  in  the  cause  of 
American  independence.  In  177-3  he  was  appointed 
by  the  Council  of  Safety,  which  then  exercised  the  Ex- 
ecutive authority  in  South-Carolina,  to  travel  in  con- 
junction with  Hon.  William  H.  Drayton  and  Rev.  Wil- 
liam Tennant,  into  the  Interior  of  the  State,  and  concil- 
iate the  inhabitants  to  the  measures  of  Congress,  by  re- 
moving '.heir  prejudices,  and  giving  them  a  just  view  of 
thtir  political  interests.  It  was  believed  that  the  influ- 
ence of  Ivlr.  Hart,  exerted  on  this  occasion,  was  the 
means  of  preventing  bloodshed,  when  the  tories  first 
embodied. 


SAMUEL  HARRIS. — By  reverting  to  the  biography  of 
Mr.  Marshall,  the  reader  via  find  that  in  one  of  his  evan- 
gelical journies,  he  had  the  singular  happiness  to  baptize 

*  Named  after  Dr.  Rogers,  of  Philadelphia. 


Biography  of  Samuel  Harris.  331 

Mr.  Sr.muel,  commonly  called  Colonel  Harris.  Mr.  Harris 
was  born  in  Hanover  county,  Virginia,  Jan.  1'2,  1724. 
Few  men  could  boast  of  more  respectable  parentage. 
His  education,  though  not  the  most  liberal,  was  very 
considerable  for  the  customs  of  that  day.  When  young, 
he  moved  to  the  county  of  Pittsylvania  ;  and  as  he  ad- 
vanced in  age,  became  a  favourite  with  the  people  as  well 
as  with  the  rulers.  He  was  appointed  Church  Warden, 
Sheriff,  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Burgess  for  the  .county, 
Colonel  of  the  Militia,  Captain  of  Mayo  Fort  and  Com- 
missary  for  the  fort  and  army.  All  these  things,  how- 
ever, he  counted  but  dross,  that  he  might  win  Christ 
Jesus,  and  become  a  minister  of  his  word  among  the 
Baptists  ;  a  sect  at  that  time  everywhere  spoken  against. 
His  conversion  was  effected  in  the  following  way  :  lie 
first  became  serious  and  melancholy  without  knowing 
why.  By  reading  and  conversation  he  discovered  that 
he  was  a  helpless  sinner,  and  that  a  sense  of  his  guilt 
was  the  true  cause  of  his  gloom  of  mind.  Pressed  with 
this  conviction,  he  ventured  to  attend  Baptist  preaching. 
On  one  of  his  routes  to  visit  the  forts  in  his  ofiicial  charac- 
ter, he  called  at  a  small  house,  where,  he  understood, 
there  was  to  be  Baptist  preaching.  The  preachers  were 
Joseph  and  William  Murphy,  at  that  time  commonly 
calle'd  Murphy's  boys.  Being  equipped  in  his  military 
dress,  he  was  not  willing  to  appear  in  a  conspicuous  place. 
God,  nevertheless,  found  him  out  by  his  Spirit.  His 
convictions  now  sunk  so  deep,  that  he  was  no  longer  able 
to  conceal  them.  He  left  his  sword  and  other  parts  of 
his  equipments,  some  in  one  place  and  some  in  another. 
The  arrows  of  the  Almighty  stuck  fast  in  him,  nor 
could  he  shake  them  off  until  some  time  after.  At  a 
meeting,  when  the  congregation  rose  from  prayer,  Col. 
Harris  was  observed  slid  on  his  knees,  with  his  head  and 
hands  hanging  over  the  bench.  Some  of  the  people  went 
to  his  relief,  and  found  him  senseless.  When  he  came 
to  himself,  he  smiled  ;  and  in  an  ecstasy  of  joy,  exclaimed, 
Glory  !  glory  1  glory  !  &c.  Soon  after  this  he  was  bap- 
tized by  Rev.  Daniel  Marshall,  as  mentioned  above. 
This  probably  took  place  sometime  in  the  year  17.58. 
He  did  not  confer  with  flesh  and  blood,  but  immediately 
began  his  ininisierial  labours  j  which  afterwards  proved 


332  Biography  of  Samuel  Harris. 

so  effectual  as  to  acquire  him  the  name  of  the  Virginia 
Apostle. 

In  1 759  he  was  ordained  a  ruling  elder.     His  labours 
were  chiefly  confined,  for  the  first  six  or  seven  years,  to 
the  adjacent  counties  of  Virginia  and  North-Carolina  \ 
never  having  pa=t  to  the  north  of  James  River  until  the 
year  J765.     During  the  first  years  of  his  ministry,  he 
often  travelled    with    Mr.    Marshall  ;    and   must   have 
caught  much  of  his  spirit,  for  there  is  obviously  a  con- 
siderable  resemblance  in  their  manners.     January,  1765, 
Allen  Wyley  travelled  out  to  Pittsylvania,  to  seek  for  a 
preacher.     He   had  been  previously  baptized  by  some 
regular  Baptist  minister  in  Fauquier  ;  but  not  being  able 
to  procure  preachers  to  attend  in  his  own  neighbourhood, 
and  hearing  of  New-lights,  (as  they  were  called  in  North- 
Carolina)  he  set  out  by  himself,  scarcely  knowing  whither 
he  was  going.     God  directed  his  way,  and  brought  him 
into  the  neighbourhood  of  Mr.  Harris,  on  a  meeting  day. 
He  went  to  the  meeting,  and  was  immediately  noticed 
by  Mr.  Harris,  and  asked  whence  he  came  ?     He  replied 
that  he  was  seeking  a  gospel  minister ;  and  God  having 
directed  his  course  to  him,  that  he  was  the  man,  and  that 
he  wished  him  to  go  with  him  to  Culpcpper.     Mr.  Har- 
ris agreed  to  go,  like  Peter,  nothing  doubting  but  it  was 
a  call  from  God.     This  visit  was  abundantly  blessed  for 
the  enlargement  of  the  Redeemer's  cause.     Soon   after 
he  had  returned,  three  messengers  came  from  Spottsyl- 
vania  to  obtain  Mr.  Harris's  services.     He  departed  in- 
to Ncrth-Carolina  to  seek  James  Read,  who  was  ordain- 
ed to  the  ministry.     Their  labours  were   so  highly  fa- 
voured, that  from  that  time  Mr.  Harris  became  almost 
a  constant  traveller.     Not  confining  himself  to  narrow 
limits,  but  led  on  from  place  to  place,  wherever  he  could 
see  an  opening  to  do  good,  there  he  would  hoist  the  flag 
of  peace.     There  was  scarcely  any  place  in  Virginia,  in 
which  he  did  not  sow  the  gospel  seed.     It  was  not  until 
J769,  that  this  eminently  useful  man  was  ordained  to 
the  administration  of  ordinances.     Why  he  was  not  or- 
dained at  an  earlier  period,  is  not  certainly  known  j 
some  say,  that  he  did  not  wish  it ;  others,  that  his  opin- 
ions respecting  the  support  of  ministers  were  objected 


Biography  of  Samuel  Harris.  333 

to  by  the  leading  elders.     After  his  ordination,  he  bap- 
tized as  well  as  preached. 

In  every  point  of  view,  Mr.  Harris  might  be  consider- 
ed as  one  of  the  most  excellent  of  men.  Being  in  easy 
circumstances  when  he  became  religious,  he  devoted  not 
only  himself  but  almost  all  his  property  to  religious  ob- 
jects. He  had  begun  a  large  new  dwelling-house,  suita- 
ble to  his  former  dignity,  which,  as  soon  as  it  was  en- 
closed, he  appropriated  to  the  use  of  publick  worship,  con- 
tinuing to  live  in  the  old  one. 

After  maintaining  his  family  in  a  very  frugal  manner, 
he  distributed  his  surplus  income  to  charitable  purposes. 
During  the  war,  when  it  was  extremely  difficult  to  pro- 
cure salt,  he  kept  two  waggons  running  to  Petersburg, 
to  bring  up  salt  for  his  neighbours.  His  manners  were 
of  the  most  winning  sort,  having  a  singular  talent  at 
touching  the  feelings.  He  scarcely  ever  went  into  a 
house,  without  exhorting  and  praying  for  those  he  met 
there. 

As  a  doctrinal  preacher,  his  talents  were  rather  below 
mediocrity,  unless  at  those  times  when  he  was  highly 
favoured  from  above  ;  then  he  would  sometimes  display 
considerable  ingenuity.  His  excellency  lay  chiefly  in  ad- 
dressing the  heart,  and  perhaps  even  Whitefieid  did  not 
surpass  him  in  this.  When  animated  himself,  he  seldom 
failed  to  animate  his  auditory.  Some  have  described 
him,  when  exhorting  at  great  meetings,  as  pouring  forth 
streams  of  celestial  lightning  from  his  eyes,  which, 
whithersoever  he  turned  his  face,  would  strike  down 
hundreds  at  once.  Hence  he  is  often  called  Boanergef. 
So  much  was  Mr.  Harris  governed  by  his  feelings,  that 
if  he  began  to  preach  and  did  not  feel  some  liberty  of 
utterance,  he  would  tell  his  audience  he  could  not  preach 
without  the  Lord,  and  then  sit  down.  Not  long  before 
the  commencement  of  the  great  revival  in  Virginia,  Mr. 
H.  had  a  paralytick  shock,  from  which  he  never  entirely 
recovered.  Yet  this  did  not  deter  him  from  his  diligent 
usefulness.  If  he  could  not  go  as  far,  he  was  still  not 
idle  within  that  sphere  allowed  him  by  his  infirmities*. 
At  all  Associations  and  general  committees,  where  he  was 
delegated,  he  was  almost  invariably  made  moderator. 


334  Biography  of  Sjwuel  ILirris. 

This  cilice,  like  every  thing  else,  he  discharged  with  some 
degree  of  singularity,  yet  to  general  satisfaction. 

For  some  short  time  previous  to  his  death,  his  senses 
were  considerably  palsied  ;  so  that  we  are  deprived  of 
such  pious  remarks,  as  would  probably  have  fallen  from 
this  extraordinary  servant  of  God  in  his  last  hours.  He 
was  somewhat  over  seventy  years  of  age  when  he  died. 

The  remarkable  anecdotes  told  of  Mr.  H.  are  so  nume- 
rous, that  they  would  fill  a  volume  of  themselves,  if  they 
were  collected.  A  part  of  them  only  we  shall  record. 

Mr.  H.  like  Mr.  Marshall,  possessed  a  soul  incapable  of 
being  dismayed  by  any  difficulties.  To  obtain  his  own 
consent  to  undertake  a  laudable  entcrprize,  it  was  suffi- 
cient for  him  to  know  that  it  was  possible.  His  faith  was 
sufficient  to  throvv  mountains  into  the  sea,  if  they  stood 
in  the  way.  He  seems  also  never  to  have  been  appalled 
by  the  fear  or  shame  of  man,  but  could  confront  the 
stoutest  sons  of  pride,  and  boldly  urge  the  humble  doc- 
trines of  the  cross.  Like  the  brave  soldier,  if  beaten 
back  at  the  first  onset,  he  was  still  ready  for  a  further 
assault ;  so  that  he  often  conquered  opposers,  that  to 
others  appeared  completely  hopeless.  With  this  spirit 
he  commenced  his  caiecr. 

Early  after  he  eir.b; \iced  religion,  his  mind  was  impress- 
ed with  a  desire  to  preach  to  the  officers  and  soldiers  of 
the  fort.  An  opportunity  offered  in  Fort  Mayo,  and  Mr. 
Harris  began  his  harangue,  urging  most  vehemently  the 
necessity  of  the  new  birth.  In  the  course  of  his  harangue, 
an  officer  interrupted  him,  saying,  "  Colonel,  you  have 
sucke*.!  much  eloquence  from  the  rum-cask  to-day  ;  pray 
give  us  a  little,  that  we  may  declaim  as  well,  when  it 
comes  to  our  turn."  Harris  replied,  "  I  am  r.:;t  drunk  j" 
and  resumed  his  discourse.  He  had  not  gone  far,  before 
he  was  accosted  by  another,  in  a  serious  manner,  who, 
looking  in  his  face,  said,  "  Sam,  you  say  you  are  not 
drunk  ;  pray  are  you  not  mad  then  ?  What  the  d — 1  ails 
you  r"  CoL  Harris  replied  in  the  words  of  Paul,  "  I  am 
not  mad,  mo;;t  noble  gentleman."  He  continued  speak- 
ing publickiy  and  privately,  until  one  of  the  gentlemen 
received  such  impressions  as  were  never  afterwards  bha* 
ken  ofi ,  but  he  afterwards  became  a  pious  Christian.  . 


Biography  of  Samuel  Harris.  335 

Soon  after  this,  Mr.  Harris  found  a  sad  alteration  as 
to  his  religious  enjoyment.  He  prayed  God  to  restore 
the  light  of  his  countenance,  and  renew  communion  with 
him  ;  but  his  petition  was  deferred.  He  then  went  in- 
to the  woods,  and  sought  for  the  happiness  he  had  lost  ; 
thinking  that,  pcradventure,  God  would  answer  his 
prayer  there,  though  not  in  the  fort,  where  so  much 
wickedness  abounded  ;  but  no  answer  came.  Then  he 
began  to  inquire  into  the  cause  why  God  dealt  so  with 
him.  The  first  that  offered  was  his  lucrative  offices  ; 
i!')  m  which  he  determined  to  lay  them  down  immedi- 
ately, and  settle  his  accounts  with  the  publick.  Having 
now  removed  the  Acban  out  of  the  camp,  as  he  thought, 
he  renewed  his  suit  for  a  restoration  of  the  joy  which  he 
had  lost  ;  but  still  "  the  vision  tarried,  and  the  prophe- 
cy brought  not  forth."  He  began  to  examine  himself  a 
second  time.  Then  he  suspected  his  money  was  the 
cause,  and  that  he  had  made  gold  his  trust.  Accordingly 
he  took  all  his  money  and  threw  it  away  into  the  busi- 
es, where  it  remains  to  this  day,  for  aught  any  one  knows 
to  the  contrary.  After  this,  he  prayed  again,  and  found 
that  man's  impatience  will  not  shorten  the  time  which 
infinite  wisdom  hath  measured  out  for  delays  or  benef- 
icence. However,  in  due  time  the  \vished-for  good 
came.  "  i  am  aware  (says  Mr.  Morgan  Edwards,  from 
whose  MS.  history  this  anecdote  is  selected)  that  this 
story  will  render  the  wisdom  of  the  Colonel  suspected. 
Be  it  so.  It  nevertheless  establishes  the  truth  of  his  pi- 
ety, and  shows  that  lie  preferred  communion  with  God 
before  riches  and  honours.'' 

Rough  was  the  treatment  which  Mr.  Harris  met  with 
amongst  his  rude  countrymen.  In  one  of  his  journics  in 
the  county  of  Culpepper,  a  Capt.  Ball  and  his  gang  came 
to  a  place  where  lie  was  preaching,  and  said,  Ci  You  shall 
not  preach  here." — A  hy-^tander,  whose  name  was  Jere- 
miah Minor,  replied,  "  But  he  shall."  From  this  sharp 
contention  of  words,  they  proceeded  to  a  sharper  contest 
of  blows  and  scuffles.  Friends  on  both  sides  inter 
themselves;  some  to  makepeace,  and  others  tobick 
their  foremen.  The  supp-  >rters  of  Mr.  Harris  were  prob- 
ably most  of  them  worldly  people,  v  ho  acted  from  no 
other  principle,  than  to  defend  a  minister  thus  insulted 


$36  Biography  of  Samuc-l  Harris. 

and  abused.  But  if  they  were  Christians,  they  were  cer- 
tainly too  impatient  and  resentful,  and  manifested  too 
much  of  the  spirit  Peter  had  when  he  drew  his  sword 
on  the  high-priest's  servant.  Col.  Harris's  friends  took 
him  into  a  house,  and  set  Lewis  Craig  to  guard  the  door, 
while  he  was  preaching  ;  but  presently  Ball's  gang  came 
up>  drove  the  sentinel  from  his  stand,  and  battered  open 
the  door  ;  but  they  were  driven  back  by  the  people 
within.  This  involved  them  in  another  contest,  and 

is  the  day  ended  in  confusion. 

On  another  occasion  he  was  arrested  and  carried  into 
'Court,  as  a  disturber  of  the  peace.  In  Court,  a  Capt. 
Williams  vehemently  accused  him  as  a  vagabond,  a  her- 
etic, and  a  mover  of  sedition  every  where.  Mr.  Harris 
made  his  defence.  But  the  Court  ordered  that  he  should 
not  preach  in  the  county  again  for  the  space  of  twelve 
months,  or  be  committed  to  prison.  The  Colonel  told 
them  that  he  lived  two  hundred  miles  from  thence, 
and  that  it  was  not  likely  he  should  disturb  them  again 
in  the  course  of  one  year.  Upon  this  he  was  dismissed. 
From  Culpepper  he  went  to  Fauquier,  and  preached  at 
Carter's  Run.  From  thence  he  crossed  the  Blue  Ridge, 
and  preached  at  Shenandoah.  On  his  return  from 
thence,  he  turned  in  at  Capt.  Thomas  Clanathan's,  in 
the  county  of  Culpepper,  where  there  was  a  meeting. 
While  certain  young  ministers  were  preaching,  the  word 
of  God  began  to  burn  in  Col.  Harris's  heart.  When 
they  finished,  he  arose  and  addressed  the  congregation, 
"  I  partly  promised  the  devil,  a  few  days  past,  at  the 
court-house,  that  I  would  not  preach  in  this  county  again 
for  the  term  of  a  year  :  but  the  devil  is  a  perfidious 
wretch,  and  covenants  with  him  are  not  to  be  kept,  and 
therefore  I  will  preach."  He  preached  a  lively,  animat- 
ing sermon.  The  Court  never  meddled  with  him  more. 

In  Orange  county,  one  Benjamin  Healy  p-illed  Mr. 
Harris  down  from  the  place  where  he  was  preaching, 
and  hauled  him  about,  sometimes  by  the  hand,  sometimes 
by  the  leg,  and  sometimes  by  the  hair  of  the  head  ;  but 
the  persecuted  preacher  had  friends  here  also,  who  es- 
poused his  part,  and  rescued  him  from  the  rage  of  his 
enemies.  This,  as  in  a  former  case,  brought  on  a  con- 
tention between  his  advocates  and  opposers  j  during 


Biography  of  Samuel  Harris.  337 

which,  a  Capt.  Jameson  sent  Mr.  Harris  to  a  house  where 
was  a  loft  with  a  step-ladder  to  ascend  it  ;  into  that  loft 
he  hurried  him,  took  away  the  step-ladder,  and  left  the 
good  man  secure  from  his  enemies. 

Near  Haw-river,  a  rude  fellow  came  up  to  Mr.  Harris, 
and  knocked  him  dowu  while  he  was  preaching. 

He  went  to  preach  to  the  prisoners  once,  in  the  town 
of  Hillsborough,  where  he  was  locked  up  in  the  gaol, 
and  kept  for  some  time. 

Notwithstanding  these  things,  Col.  Harris  did  not  suf- 
fer as  many  persecutions  as  some  other  Baptist  preach- 
ers. Tempered  in  some  degree  peculiar  to  himself,  per- 
haps his  bold,  noble,  yet  humble  manner,  dismayed  the 
ferocious  spirits  of  the  opposers  of  religion. 

A  criminal,  who  had  been  just  pardoned  at  the  gallows, 
once  met  him  on  the  road,  and  showed  him  his  reprieve. 
"  Well,'*  said  he,  "  and  have  you  shown  it  to  Jesus  ?" 
"  No,  Mr.  Harris,  I  want  you  to  do  that  for  me.'*  The 
old  man  immediately  descended  from  his  horse,  in  the 
ro  id,  and  making  the  man  also  alight,  they  both  kneeled, 
down ;  Mr.  H.  put  one  hand  on  the  man's  head,  and 
with  the  other  held  open  the  pardon,  and  thus,  in  behalf 
of  the  criminal,  returned  thanks  for  his  reprieve,  and 
prayed  for  him  to  obtain  God's  pardon  also. 

The  following  very  interesting  narrative  was  published 
by  Mr.  Semple,  in  his  History  of  the  Virginia  Baptists  ; 
it  has  also  been  published  by  Mr.  John  Leland,  in  his 
Budget  of  Scraps,  under  the  title  of  "  Prayer  better  than. 
Law-suits"  As  there  is  some  little  variation,  not  as  to 
matters  of  fact,  but  in  the  mode  of  expression,  in  these 
two  relaters,  I  have  selected  from  them  both  this  singu- 
lar and  instructive  story.  When  Mr.  Harris  began  to 
preach,  his  soul  was  so  absorbed  in  the  work,  that  it 
f  was  difficult  for  him  to  attend  to  the  duties  of  this  life. 
Finding  at  length  the  absolute  need  of  providing  more 
;  grain  for  his  family  than  his  plantation  had  produced, 
he  went  to  a  man  who  owed  him  a  sum  of  money,  and 
told  him,  lie  would  be  very  glad  if  he  would  discharge 
the  debt  he  owed  him.  The  man  replied,  "  1  have  no 
money  by  me,  and  therefore  cannot  oblige  you."  Har- 
ris said,  "  I  want  the  money  to  purchase  wheat  for  my 
family ;  and  as  you  have  raised  a  good  crop  of  wheat,  I 

VOL.  2.  43 


338  Biography  of  Samuel  Harris. 

\vill  take  that  article  of  you,  instead  of  money,  at  a  cur- 
rent price."  The  man  answered,  "  I  have  other  uses 
for  my  wheat,  and  cannot  let  you  have  it."  "  Flow 
then,"  said  Harris,  "  do  you  intend  to  pay  me  ?"  "  I 
never  intend  to  pay  you,  until  you  sue  me,"  replied  the 
debtor,  "and  therefore  you  may  begin  your  suit  as  soon 
as  you  please."  IMr.  Harris  left  him,  meditating  : 
Ci  Good  God,"  said  he  to  himself,  "-what  shall  I  do  ? 
Must  I  leave  preaching  to  attend  to  a  vexatious  law-suit ! 
Perhaps  a  thousand  souls  will  perish  in  the  mean  time  for 
the  want  of  hearing  of  Jesus  !  No,  I  will  not.  Wei!, 
what  will  you  do  for  yourself  ?  Why,  this  I  will  do  ;  I 
will  sue  him  at  the  Court  of  Heaven."  Having  resolved 
what  to  do,  he  turned  aside  into  a  wood,  and  fell  upon 
liis  knees,  and  thus  began  his  suit :  "  O  blessed  Jesus  i 
thou  eternal  God !  Thou  knowest  that  I  need  the  money 
which  the  man  owes  me,  to  supply  the  wants  of  my 
family  ;  but  he  will  not  pay  me  without  a  law-suit. 
Dear  Jesus,  shall  I  quit  thy  cause,  and  leave  the  souls  of 
men  to  perish  ?  Or  wilt  thou,  in-  mercy,  open  some 
other  way  of  relief?"  In  this  address,  the  Colonel  had 
such  nearness  to  God,  that  (to  use  his  own  words)  Jesus 
said  unto  him,  "  Harris,  I  will  enter  bonds-man  for  the 
man — you  keep  on  preaching,  and  omit  the  law-suit — I 
will  take  care  of  you,  and  see  that  you  have  your  pay." 
Mr.  Harris  felt  well  satisfied  with  his  security,  but 
thought  it  would  be  unjust  to  hold  the  man  a  debtor, 
when  Jesus  had  assumed  payment.  He,  therefore,  wrote 
a  receipt  in  full  of  all  accounts  which  he  had  against  the 
man,  and  dating  it  in  the  woods,  where  Jesus  entered 
bail,  he  signed  it  with  his  own  name.  Going,  the  next 
day,  by  the  man's  house  to  attend  a  meeting,  he  gave 
the  receipt  to  a  servant,  and  bid  him  deliver  it  to  his 
master.  On  returning  from  the  meeting,  the  man  hail- 
ed him  at  Ins  gate  and  said,  "  Mr.  Harris  what  did  you 
mean  by  the  receipt  you  sent  me  this  morning  r"  Mr. 
Harris  replied,  "  I  meant  just  as  I  wrote."  "  But  you 
know,  Sir,"  answered  the  debtor,  "  1  have  never  paid 
you."  "True,"  said  Mr.  Harris,  "  and  I  know,  also,  that 
you  said  you  never  would,  except  I  sued  you.  But, 
Sir,  I  sued  you  at  the  Court  of  Heaven,  and  Jesus  enter- 
ed bail  for  you,  and  has  agreed  to  pay  me ;  I  have,  there- 


Biography  of  Duit 'dn  Lane.  539 

fore,  given  you  a  discharge  !"  "  But  I  insist  upon  it," 
said  the  man,  "  matters  shall  not  be  left  so."  "  I  am 
well  satisfied,"  answered  Harris,  "  Jesus  will  not  fail  me  ; 
I  leave  you  to  settle  the  account  with  him  another  day. 
Farewell."  This  operated  so  effectually  on  the  man's 
conscience,  that  in  a  few  days  he  loaded  his  waggon,  and 
sent  wheat  enough  to  discharge  the  debt. 

A  complete  history  of  the  life  of  this  venerable  man, 
would  furnish  still  a  lengthy  catalogue  of  anecdotes  of 
the  most  interesting  kind.  But  we  sliall  close  his  biog- 
raphy, by  relating  one,  which,  though  of  a  diiterenj 
nature,  is  not  less  curious  than  any  of  the  former. 

The  General  Association  of  Separat-e  Baptists  in  Vir- 
ginia, in  the  year  17  74,  in  the  ardour  of  their  zeal  for 
reformation,  and  the  revival  of  primitive  order,  resolv- 
ed that  the  ofKce  of  Apostles,  together  with  all  the  other 
oflices  mentioned  in  Ephesians,  4th  chapter  and  llth 
verse,  were  still  to  be  maintained  in  the  church.  Pur- 
suant to  this  resolution,  the  Association  proceeded,  in 
the  first  place,  to  choose  by  ballot  one  from  amongst 
them,  to  ofliciate  in  the  dignified  character  of  an  Apos- 
tle. Mr.  Harris  was  elected,  and  consented  to  be  ordain- 
ed to  his  Apostolick  function,  by  the  laying  on  of  the 
hands  of  every  ordained  minister  in  the  Association.* 
So  that  he  was  for  a  time,  in  fact,  as  he  was  generally 
called  by  way  of  eminence,  the  Apostle  of  Virginia. 


PUTTON  LANE  was  born  November  7,  1732,  near 
Baltimore,  in  Maryland.  At  what  time  he  became  a  res- 
ident of  Virginia,  is  not  known  ;  but  he  was  baptized 
by  Shubael  Stearns,  in  1758.  He  was  ordained  to  the 
ministry,  and, .probably,  to  the  care  of  Dan  River  church, 
October  22,  1764,  having  commenced  publick  speaking 
immediately  after  he  was  baptized.  Mr.  Lane  was  not 
a  man  of  much  learning ;  but  having  a  strong  consti- 
tution, a  commanding  voice,  and  fervent  spirit,  he  did 
great  things  in  his  Master's  service. 

Unenlightened  as  the  Virginians  were,  at  that  time,  it 
was  not  to  be  expected  that  he  would  be  allowed  to  go 

.*  See  a  fall  account  of  this  singular  experiment,  in  the  History  of  the  Vir- 
jir.ia  B;iptisls. 


34O  Biography  of  Button  Lane. 

in  peace.  His  own  father  was  among  the  first  to  set  his 
face  against  the  Baptists  generally,  and  against  his  son 
Dutton  in  particular.  He  once  pursued  him  with  an 
instrument  of  death  to  kill  him.  It  fell  out,  however, 
that  instead  of  killing  his  son,  he  was  himself  slain  by 
the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  from  which  he  soon  after  reviv- 
ed with  a  hope  of  eternal  life,  and  was  baptized  by  that 
very  son,  whom  he  would  have  slain. 

Mr.  Lane  was  once  preaching  at  a  place  called  Meher- 
rin,  in  Lunenburgh  county,  where  a  Mr.  Joseph  Wil- 
liams, a  magistrate,  charged  him  before  the  whole  con- 
gregation, not  to  come  there  to  preach  again.  Mr.  Lane 
mildly  replied,  that  as  there  were  many  other  places 
where  he  could  preach  without  interruption,  he  did  not 
know  that  he  should  come  there  again  shortly.  After 
wishing  peace  to  the  rest  of  the  company,  he  gravely  ad- 
dressed Mr.  Williams,  and  said,  "  Little,  Sir,  as  you 
now  think  it,  my  impressions  tell  me,  that  you  will  be- 
come a  Baptist,  a  warm  cspouser  of  that  cause,  which 
you  now  persecute."  This  prediction  came  to  pass  ; 
for  in  about  twelve  years,  Williams  embraced  religion, 
was  baptized,  and  became  a  zealous  member,  and  useful 
deacon  in  the  church  that  was  afterwards  formed  at  that 
place. 

Once  he  was  preaching  against  drunkenness,  and  ex- 
posing the  vilcness  and  danger  of  the  practice,  when  one 
John  Giles  stood  up,  saying  angrily,  "  I  know  who  you 
mean,"  and  with  a  blasphemous  oath,  declared,  "  I'll  de- 
molish you."  But  this  self-condemned  sot  was  prevent- 
ed from  doing  any  harm. 

One  William  Cocker  had  conceived  such  malignity 
against  the  Baptists,  that  he  was  accustomed  to  say,  that 
he  would  rather  go  to  hell  than  heaven,  if  going  to 
heaven  required  him  to  be  a  Baptist.  But  falling  in  ac- 
cidentally where  Mr.  Lane  preached,  he  was  struck  down 
with  deep  conviction  ;  from  which,  being  delivered  by 
converting  grace,  he  became  a  pious  Baptist. 

Mr.  Lane  continued  preaching  till  his  death  ;  but  the 
latter  part  of  his  life  was  somewhat  obscured  by  his 
adopting  and  maintaining  certain  strange  opinions.  By 
diving  into  subjects  not  revealed,  and  rather  neglecting 
those  which  were  obvioiis  and  plain,  he  was  much  less 


Biography  of  Lewis  Lunsford.  341 

thought  of.     He  lived  and  died  a  pious  man,  however, 
in  the  estimation  of  those  who  knew  him  well. 


LEWIS  LUNSFORD. We  now  come  to  the  man,  (says 

Mr.  Semple,  in  his  biography)  who,  in  point  of  talents 
as  a  preacher,  was  never  excelled  in  Virginia  ;  and  by 
many  it  is  doubted  whether  he  ever  had  a  superior  any 
where  else. 

Mr.  Lunsford  was  born  in  Stafford  county,  Virginia, 
of  indigent  parents.  He  received  a  very  slender  educa- 
tion indeed  ;  nor  had  the  means  to  enlarge  it.  The  God 
of  nature  furnished  him  with  powers  to  surmount  all 
obstacles.  To  obviate  the  \vant  of  education,  he  used, 
after  working  all  day,  to  read  till  late  at  night,  by  fire- 
light. At  an  early  stage  of  his  life,  while  attending  the 
ministry  of  William  Fristoe,  he  was  happily  arrested  by 
divine  mercy.  Mr.  Fristoe  baptized  him  when  a  boy, 
and  he  immediately,  both  in  private  and  in  publick,  began 
to  stand  up  as  an  advocate  for  the  gospel.  His  talents, 
at  this  tender  age,  commanded  attention,  and  procured 
for  him  the  flattering  appellation  of  The  Wonderful  Boy, 
After  moving  in  a  more  confined  circle  for  some  few 
years,  he  began  to  enlarge  his  borders.  About  1774, 
Divine  Providence  directed  his  attention  to  the  lower 
counties  in  the  Northern  Neck.  Wherever  he  placed 
his  foot  as  a  preacher,  there  attended  a  blessing.  Believ- 
ers were  added  to  the  church,  through  his  instrumental- 
ity, in  most  of  the  neighbourhoods  of  these  lower  coun- 
ties. His  preaching  made  a  great  noise,  not  only  for  its 
ingenuity,  but  for  its  novelty.  Here,  a,s  in  most  other 
places  where  the  Baptists  preached,  the  people  cried  out 
that  some  new  doctrine  was  started  ;  that  the  church 
wa?  in  danger.  Mr.  Lunsford  was  accounted  worthy  to 
share  a  part  of  this  opposition.  A  clergyman  appointed 
a  set  day  to  preach  against  the  Anabaptists.  Crowds 
attended  to  hear  him.  He  told  stories  about  John  of 
Leyden,  and  Cromwell's  round-heads ;  but  he  could  not 
by  sllrh  tales  stop  the  gospel  current,  now  swelling  to 
a  torrent.  When  Mr.  Lunsford  preached  again  in  the 
came  parts,  they  attacked  him  by  more  weighty  argu- 


342  Biography  of  Lewis  Lunsford. 

rnents.  A  constable  was  sent  with  a  warrant  to  arrest 
him.  The  constable,  with  more  politeness  than  was  usu- 
al then  on  such  occasions,  waited  until  Mr.  Lunsford  had 
preached.  His  fascinating  powers  palsied  the  constable's 
hand.  He  would  not,  he  said,  serve  a  warrant  on  so 
good  a  man.  Another  man  took  it,  and  went,  trem- 
blingly, and  served  it.  Mr.  Lunsford  attended  the  sum- 
mons, and  appeared  before  a  magistrate.  He  was  held 
in  recognizance  to  appear  at  Court.  -The  Court  deter- 
mined that  he  had  been  guilty  of  a  breach  of  good  beha- 
viour ;  and  that  he  must  give  security,  or  go  to  prison. 
He  was  advised  to  give  security,  under  the  expectation 
of  obtaining  license  to  preach.  He  tried,  but  could  not. 
He  often  regretted  that  he  had  taken  this  step  ;  and 
was  sorry  he  had  not  gone  to  prison.  This  took  place 
in  Richmond  county. 

After  the  repeal  of  the  law  for  establishing  one  sect 
to  the  exclusion  of  the  rest,  a  banditti  attended  Mr. 
Lunsford's  meeting,  with  sticks  and  staves,  to  attack 
him.  Just  as  he  was  about  to  begin  to  preach,  they  ap- 
proached him  for  the  attack.  His  irreligious  friends, 
contrary  to  his  wish,  drew  stakes  out  of  a  fence  to  defend 
him.  This  produced  great  uproar  and  some  skirmish- 
es. Mr.  Lunsford  petired  to  a  neighbouring  house,  and 
shut  himself  up.  His  persecutors,  however,  pursued 
him,  but  were  not  hardy  enough  to  break  in  upon  him. 
One  of  them  desired  to  have  the  privilege  of  conversing 
with  him,  with  a  view  of  convincing  him.  He  was  let 
in,  and  did  converse  ;  but  when  he  came  out,  he  wore 
a  new  face.  His  party  asked  him  the  result.  "  You  had 
better  converse  with  him  yourselves,"  said  he. 

It  was  not  until  January,  1 778,  that  Mr.  Lunsford  be- 
came a  settled  preacher,  and  took  care  of  Moratico 
church,  which  was  constituted  at  that  time.  He  held  it 
as  an  opinion,  that  imposition  of  hands  by  a  presbytery 
was  not  necesssry  to  ordination  ;  but  that  the  call  of  a 
church  was  sufficient.  It  was  in  this  way  he  took  the 
care  of  Moratico  church.  He  never  would  submit  to 
be  ordained  by  the  imposition  of  hands  ;  although  the 
refusal  produced  no  small  discontent  among  the  Baptists 
in  Virginia. 

la  1779,  he  married  his  first  wife  ;  and  became  a  resi- 
dent of  Northumberland.  From  the  time  he  settled  i» 


Biography  of  Lewis  Lunsford.  34  S 

the  Northern  Neck,  and  indeed  from  the  time  he  began 
to  preach  there,  he  gradually  increased  in  favour  with  the 
people.     It  is  hardly  probable  that  any  man  ever  was 
more  beloved  by  a  people  when  living,  or  more  lament- 
ed when  dead.      He  had  two  remarkable  revivals  of  re- 
ligion in  the  bounds  of  his  church.     The  one,  about  the 
time  of  the  constitution  of  his  church,  and  the  other 
commenced  in  the  year  17S8,  and  had  scarcely  subsided 
at  his  death  in  1793.     During  these  revivals,  he  was  un- 
commonly  lively   and   engaged.     He   preached  almost 
incessantly ;    and    by    his  acquaintances,   after    the  last 
revival,  it  was  thought  he  made  a  rapid  advance  in  the 
improvement  of  his  talents,  both  in  wisdom  and  warmth  ; 
especially  the  latter,  from  which  he  never  receded  dur- 
ing his  residence  on  earth.     Certain  it  is,  that  during 
several  of  the  last  years  of  his  lite,  he  was  more  caressed, 
and  his  preaching  more  valued,  than  any  other  man's 
that  ever   resided   in  \7irginia.     Lunsford    was    a  sure 
preacher,  and  seldom  failed  to  rise  pretty  high.     In  his 
best  strains,  he  was  more  like  an  angel  than  a  man.     His. 
countenance,  lighted  up  by  an  inward  flame,  seemed  to 
shed  beams  of  light  wherever  he  turned.     His  voice, 
always  harmonious,  now  seemed  to  be  tuned  by  descend- 
ing seraphs.     His  style  and  his  manner  was  so  subiime 
and  so  energetick,  that  he  seemed  indeed  like  an  ambassa- 
dor of  the  skies,  sent  down  to  command  all  men  every 
where  to  repent.     He  was  truly  a  messenger  of  peace  °r 
and  by  him  the  tidings  of  peace  were  communicated  to 
multitudes.     So  highly  was  he  estimated  among  his  c  . 
people,  that  there  were  but  few  preachers  that  visit 
them,  to  whom  they  would  willingly  listen,  even  for 
once,  in  preference  to  their  beloved  pastor.    In  argument,, 
Mr.  Lunsford  was  somewhat  satyrical ;  and  by  this  mear<  „ 
sometimes  gave  offence  to  those  who  did  not  know  hi1.-- 
well.     It  was,  however,  perfectly  clear,   that  he  did  net 
design  to  sport  with  the  feelings  of  any.     For  it  is  net 
likely  that  any  man  of  his   popularity  ever  had   fewer 
permanent  enemies.     He  was  very  fond  of  reading,  ai 
retained  what  he  read  so  correctly,  that  few  men  could 
make  more  extensive  quotations  than  Mr.  Lunsford. 
For  his  own  advantage,  he  had  procured  and  read  son;e 
distinguished  treatises  on  mediciue.     And  so  capacious 


34 -i  Biography  of  Lewis  Lumford. 

were  his  faculties,  that  with  his  small  opportunities  ill 
this  professional  study,  he  actually  became  so  skilful  in 
the  administration  of  physick,  that  he  was  often  called  on 
10  attend  patients  at  a  considerable  distance.  To  all  such 
applicants,  he  not  only  rendered  his  services  gratis,  but 
often  furnished  them  with  medicine.  He  had  the  care 
of  a  large  and  opulent  church,  of  whom  some  were  very 
liberal  in  their  contributions  ;  but  by  a  great  part  of 
them  he  was  too  much  neglected.  For  the  want  of  their 
support  and  of  his  own  attention  to  secular  affairs, 
(through  his  ministry)  he  was  in  but  narrow  circumstan- 
ces. Yet,  he  lived  well,  and  rendered  to  every  man  his 
just  dues.  But  now,  painful  as  the  task  is,  we  must  add, 
that  this  great,  this  good,  this  almost  inimitable  man, 
died,  when  only  about  forty  years  of  age.  lie  lived  in 
a  sickly  climate,  and  had  frequent  bilious  attacks.  These 
were  sometimes  very  severe.  For  two  or  three  years 
before  his  death,  he  laboured  under  repeated  indisposi- 
tions, even  when  travelling  about.  His  manly  soul 
would  never  permit  him  to  shrink  from  the  work,  so 
long  as  he  had  strength  to  lift  up  his  voice.  Sometimes, 
after  going  to  bed  as  being  too  ill  to  preach,  prompted 
by  his  seraphick  spirit,  he  would  rise  again,  after  some 
other  person  had  preached,  and  deal  out  the  bread  of 
life  to  the  hungry  sons  and  daughters  of  Zion. 

He  was  a  shepherd  indeed.  The  Dover  Association, 
for  the  year  1793,  was  holden  at  Glebe-Landing  meeting- 
house in  Middlesex  county,  not  more  than  fifteen  or 
eighteen  miles  from  his  house.  Although  just  rising 
from  a  bilious  attack,  he  would  not  stay  from  a  place 
where  his  heart  delighted  to  be,  and  where  he  had  the 
best  ground  to  believe  he  could  do  good.  He  went,  and 
appeared  so  much  better,  that  he  made  extensive  appoint- 
ments to  preach  in  the  lower  parts  of  Virginia.  He  was 
chosen  to  preach  on  Sunday,  and  he  did  preach  indeed. 
On  Tuesday  he  came  up  to  King  and  Oueen  county, 
and  preached  at  Bruington  meeting-house,  from  these 
words  :  Therefore,  let  us  not  sleep  as  do  others,  but  let  us 
watch  and  be  sober.  It  was  an  awakening  discourse,  wor- 
thy of  this  masterly  workman.  On  that  day  he  took 
cold  and  grew  worse.  He,  however,  preached  his  last 
*ermon  the  next  day  evening  ;  obserting  when  he  began, 


Biography  of  Lewis  Lumford.  345 

"  k  may  be  improper  for  me  to  attempt  to  preach  at  this 
time  ;  but  as  long  as  I  have  any  strength  remaining,  I 
wish  to  preach  the  gospel  of  Christ ;  and  I  will  very 
gladly  spend  and  be  spent  for  you.  He  then  preached 
his  last  sermon,  frotn,  "  Therefore,  being  justified  by  faith, 
we  have  peace  with  God,  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ" 
He  continued  to  grow  worse,  until,  having  arrived  at 
Mr.  Gregory's,  in  Essex,  he  took  his  bed,  from  whence 
he  was  carried  to  his  grave.  In  his  sickness  he  was  re- 
markably silent,  having  very  little  to  say,  which  he 
could  avoid.  He  was  fond  of  joining  in  prayer,  and 
sometimes  exerted  his  now  relaxed  mind,  in  making  re- 
marks worthy  of  such  a  man.  He  expressed  some  anx- 
iety at  the  thought  of  leaving  his  helpless  family  ;  but 
appeared  quite  resigned  for  the  will  of  Heaven  to  take 
place.  On  the  26th  of  October,  1793,  he  fell  asleep  in 
the  arms  of  Jesus,  aged  about  forty  years.  Rev.  Henry 
Toler  preached  two  funeral  sermons  for  him.  One  at 
the  place  of  his  death,  another  at  Mr.  Lunsford's  meeting- 
house, in  Lancaster  county,  called  Kilmarnock.  These 
two  sermons  were  printed  in  a  pamphlet ;  and  annexed 
to  them,  were  two  handsome  elegies,  written  by  ladies 
of  his  church.  Another  was  written  by  Rev.  A.  Broad- 
dus,  which  was  much  admired.  It  seemed  to  be  a  mys- 
tery to  many,  why  God  should  have  called  home  so 
great,  so  useful  a  man,  in  the  bloom  of  life.  Those  who 
thought  proper  to  offer  reasons  or  conjectures  for  ex- 
plaining the  ways  of  Providence,  seemed  generally  to 
agree  that  Mr.  Lunsford's  popularity  as  a  preacher  had 
risen  too  high.  The  people  wherever  he  was,  or  where 
he  was  expected,  seemed  to  have  lost  all  relish  for  any 
other  man's  preaching :  that,  God,  knowing  the  capaci- 
ty of  most  of  his  servants,  was  unwilling  that  the  lesser 
lights  should  be  so  much  swallowed  up  by  the  greater. 
Perhaps  the  better  way  is  to  form  no  conjecture  about  it ; 
but  rest  persuaded,  that  the  ways  of  God  are  always  wise, 
however  unaccountable  to  man. 

He  was  twice  married.  He  had  by  his  first  wife  one 
surviving  child.  By  his  second  wife,  he  left  three  chil- 
dren. 

YOJU  2.  44 


346  Biography  of  James  Manning. 

JAMES  MANNING,  D.  D.  was,  in  his  day,  one  of  the 
brightest  ornaments  of  the  Baptist  denomination  in 
America.  His  biography  has  never  been  recorded  to 
any  considerable  extent,  and  indeed  his  stationary  em- 
ployment furnished  not  many  incidents  for  a  diffusive 
narrative.  For  what  few  things  have  been  written 
respecting  the  character  of  this  illustrious  man,  we  are 
indebted  mostly  to  the  pen  of  Judge  Howel,  of  Provi- 
dence, and  the  following  sketches,  drawn  by  this  eminent 
statesman,  are  found  in  Rippon's  Register. 

"Mr.  Manning  was  born  in  New- Jersey,  and  educated 
at  Nassau- Hall.  Soon  after  he  left  college,  he  was  called 
to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  by  the  Baptist  church  at 
the  Scotch  Plains,  near  Elizabeth-Town. 

"  After  making  tours  to  each  extreme  of  the  United 
States,  (then  colonies,)  and  preaching  to  different  desti- 
tute churches  in  sundry  places,  he  removed  with  his  family 
to  Warren  in  Rhode-Island,  preached  to  the  church  there, 
and  opened  a  Latin  school.  In  the  year  1 765,  he  obtain- 
ed a  charter  of  incorporation  for  Rhode-Island  College, 
of  which  he  was  chosen  president.  And  when  the  Col- 
lege was  removed  to  Providence,  in  177O,  he  of  course 
removed  with  it ;  and  besides  the  duties  of  his  presi- 
dency, he  preached  statedly  to  the  Baptist  church  in  this 
town  until  a  few  years  before  his  death.  "  In  his  youth, 
he  was  remarkable  for  his  dexterity  in  athletick  exercis- 
es, for  the  symmetry  of  his  body,  and  gracefulness  of  his 
person.  His  countenance  was  stately  and  majestick,  full 
of  dignity,  goodness,  and  gravity  ;  and  the  temper  of 
his  mind  was  a  counterpart  of  it.  He  was  formed  for 
enterprize,  his  address  was  pleasing,  his  manners  enchant- 
ing, his  voice  harmonious,  and  his  eloquence  irresistible. 

"  Having  deeply  imbibed  the  spirit  of  truth  himself, 
as  a  preacher  of  the  gospel,  he  was  faithful  in  declaring 
the  whole  counsel  of  God.  He  studied  plainness  of 
speech,  and  to  be  useful  more  than  to  be  celebrated. 
The  good  order,  learning,  and  respectability  of  the  Bap- 
tist churches  in  the  eastern  States,  are  much  owing  to 
his  assiduous  attention  to  their  welfare.  The  credit  of 
his  name,  and  his  personal  influence  among  them,  perhaps 
have  never  been  exceeded  by  any  other  character. 


Biography  of  James  Manning.  347 

"  Of  the  College  he  must  be  considered  as  the  founder. 
He  presided  with  the  singular  advantage  of  a  superior 
personal  appearance,  added  to  all  his  shining  talents  for 
governing  and  instructing  youth.  From  the  first  begin- 
ning of  his  Latin  school  at  Warren,  through  many 
discouragements,  he,  by  constant  care  and  labour,  raised 
this  scat  of  learning  to  notice,  to  credit,  and  to  respecta- 
bility in  the  United  States.  Perhaps  the  history  of  no 
other  College  will  disclose  a  more  rapid  progress,  or 
greater  maturity,  than  this,  during  the  twenty-five  years 
of  jhis  presidency.  Although  he  seemed  to  be  consign- 
ed to  a  sedentary  life,  yet  he  was  capable  of  more  active 
scenes.  He  paid  much  attention  to  the  government  of 
his  country,  and  was  honoured  by  Rhode-Island  with  a 
seat  in  the  old  Congress.  In  State  affairs,  he  discovered 
an  uncommon  sagacity,  and  might  have  made  a  figure  as 
a  politician. 

"  In  classical  learning  he  was  fully  competent  to  the 
business  of  his  station.  He  devoted  less  time  than  some 
others  to  the  more  abstruse  sciences  ;  but  nature  seemed 
to  have  furnished  him  so  completely,  that  little  remained 
for  art  to  accomplish.  The  resources  of  his  genius  were 
great.  In  conversation  he  was  at  all  times  pleasant  and 
entertaining.  He  had  as  many  friends  as  acquaintance, 
and  took  no  less  pains  to  serve  his  friends  than  acquire 
them." 

The  following  additional  observations  on  Dr.  Man- 
ning's character,  arc  found  in  the  sermon  Dr.  Maxcy, 
his  successor  in  the  presidential  oflice,  delivered  in  the 
Baptist  meeting-house  the  Lord's  day  after  his  interment. 

"  The  loss  of  this  worthy  man  will  be  felt  by  the  com- 
munity  at  large.  He  moved  in  an  extensive  sphere. 
He  was  equally  known  in  the  religious,  the  political,  and 
literary  world.  As  his  connexions  were  extensive  and 
important,  his  loss  must  be  proportionably  great.  As  a 
man,  he  was  kind,  humane,  and  benevolent.  As  he  was 
sociable,  as  he  was  communicative,  he  seemed  rather  de- 
signed for  the  theatre  of  action  than  for  the  shades  ot 
retirement.  Nature  had  given  him  distinguished  abili- 
ties. His  life  was  a  scene  of  anxious  labour  for  the  bene- 
fit of  others.  His  piety  and  fervent  zeal  in  preaching 
the  gospel  of  Christ,  evinced  his  love  to  his  God  and 


34-8  Biography  of  James  Manning. 

to  his  fellow-men.  His  eloquence  was  forcible  and  spon- 
taneous. To  every  one  who  heard  him,  under  the  pe- 
culiar circumstances  in  which  he  appeared  in  this  place, 
it  was  evident  that  the  resources  of  his  mind  were  ex- 
ceedingly great.  The  amiableness  of  his  disposition  was 
recommended  by  a  dignified  and  majestick  appearance. 
His  address  was  manly,  familiar,  and  engaging.  His 
manners  were  easy  without  negligence,  and  polite  with- 
out affectation.  In  the  College  over  which  he  presided, 
his  government  was  mild  and  peaceful,  conducted  by 
that  persuasive  authority,  which  secures  obedience  while 
it  conciliates  esteem.  As  he  lived  much  beloved,  he  died 
much  lamented.  Well  may  we  say  that  "  a  great  man 
is  falkn." 

The  following  inscription,  drawn  also  by  Judge  Howel, 
has  been  transcribed  from  the  monument  which  covers 
the  dust  of  this  departed  worthy  : 

In    Memory    of 

The  Rev.  JAMES  MANNING,  D.D. 

PRESIDENT    OF    RHODE-ISLAND   COLLEGE. 

He  was  born  in  New-Jersey,    A.  D.    1738. 
Became  a  Member  of  a  Baptist  Church,  A.  D.   1758. 

Graduated  at  Nassau-Hall,    A.  D.  1762. 

Was  ordained  a  Minister  of  the  Gospel,   A.  D.   1763. 

Obtained  a    Charter  for  the  College,  A.D.  1765. 

Was  elected  President  of  it  the  same  Year. 
And  was  a  Member  of  Congress,   A.  D.   1786. 

His  Person  was  graceful,  and  his  Countenance  remarkably  expressive 

of  sensibility,  cheerfulness,  and  dignity. 

The  variety  and  excellence  of  his  Natural  Abilities,  improved  by 

education,  and  enriched  by  science,  raised  him 

to  a  rank  of  eminence  among 

literary  characters. 

His  manners  were  engaging,  and  his  voice  harmonious. 
His  eloquence,  natural  and  powerful. 

His    social  virtues,    classick  learning,    eminent  patriotism,    shining 

talents  for  instructing  and  governing  youth,  and  zeal 

in  the  cause  of  Christianity,  are 

recorded  on  the  tables 

of  many  hearts. 
He  died  of  an  apoplexy,  July  29,  A.D.  1791. 

Altat.  53, 

The  Trustees  and  Fellows  of  tke  College,  have  erected  thi^ 
MONUMENT. 


Biography  of  Richard  Major.  349 

Dr.  Manning  married  in  his  youth  Margaret  Stitrs, 
the  daughter  of  John  Stitcs,  Esq.  of  Elizabeth-Town, 
New-Jersey,  and  sister  of  the  wife  of  Mr.  John  Gano. 
He  had  no  children.  His  venerable  widow  is  still  living 
in  Providence,  though  far  advanced  in  years,  and  la- 
bouring under  many  infirmities. 


RICHARD  MAJOR  was  born  near  Pennsbury,  in  Penn- 
sylvania, in  the  year  1722.  He  was  bred  a  Presbyterian, 
but  embraced  the  sentiments  of  the  Baptists  in  1764, 
and  had  the  ordinance  administered  to  him  by  Rev. 
Isaac  Stelle.  He  removed  to  Virginia  in  116G,  and  two 
years  after  was  ordained  as  the  pastor  of  the  church 
called  Little  River,  in  Louden  county,  which  was  con- 
stituted  at  the  same  time. 

He  was  not  a  man  of  much  learning,  but  his  vigorous 
mind  rose  above  all  obstructions.  Being  well  taught  in 
the  school  of  Christ,  and  devoting  himself  to  the  study 
of  the  Scripture,  he  became  a  workman  that  needeth 
not  to  be  ashamed.  He  was  remarked  by  all  who  knew 
him,  for  his  indefatigable  labours  in  the  ministry,  and  he 
succeeded  beyond  many  of  much  greater  talents.  He  is 
said  to  have  planted,  from  first  to  last,  six  or  eight 
churches.  For  several  years  after  he  commenced  preach- 
ing he  met  with  great  opposition,  mostly  from  individuals. 

In  Fauquier  county,  the  officer,  with  a  warrant  from 
Capt.  Scott,  attempted  to  take  him,  but  providentially 
failed.  At  Bullrun  there  \vere  warrants  against  him  ; 
and  a  mob,  with  cltbs,  rose  to  assist  the  execution  of 
them  ;  but  here  again  they  failed  of  their  design,  chiefly 
by  means  of  the  Davises,  usually  called  the  giants  ;  those 
stout  brothers  had  been  prevailed  on  to  oppose  him  ; 
but  after  they  had  heard  him  preach,  they  became  well 
affected  towards  him,  and  threatened  to  chastise  any 
that  should  disturb  him.  In  Fauquier  the  mob  were 
very  outrageous,  but  did  no  mischief,  though  his  friends 
feared  they  would  have  pulled  him  to  pieces. 

A  certain  man,  whose  wife  had  been  baptized  by  Mr. 
Major,  determined  to  kill  him  on  sight,  and  wrent  to 
meeting  for  that  purpose.  He  sat  down  in  hearing. 


35O  Biography  of  Daniel  Marshall. 

intending  to  catch  at  some  obnoxious  expression,  which 
might  fall  from  the  preacher,  and  under  that  pretence 
to  attack  him.  But  God  produced  a  different  result ; 
for  the  man,  instead  of  executing  his  design,  became  so 
convicted  that  he  could  not  keep  on  his  feet ;  and  was 
afterwards  baptized  by  tiie  man  he  intended  to  murder. 
Another  actually  attacked  him  with  a  club  in  a  violent 
manner.  Mr.  Major  being  remarkable  for  great  presence 
of  mind,  turned  to  him,  and  in  a  solemn  manner  said, 
"  Satan,  I  command  thee  to  come  out.  of  the  man.'* 
His  club  immediately  began  to  fall,  and  the  lion  became 
as  quiet  as  the  lamb.  These  are  a  few  of  the  many  oc- 
currences of  this  kind,  that  took  place  in  the  long  life  of 
this  valuable  man. 

The  way  that  Mr.  Major's  gifts  were  noticed  was,  in 
his  reading  printed  sermons  at  private  meetings.  The 
people  were  so  affected,  that  they  procured  the  sermons 
for  their  own  reading,  but  were  soon  convinced  that  he 
had  read  what  was  not  in  the  book. 

So  much  was  he  esteemed  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life, 
that  he  had  serious  apprehensions,  that  he  must  be  too 
much  at  ease  for  a  gospel  minister  ;  or  in  other  words,  it 
seemed  as  if  the  expression,  Wo  be  unto  you  when  all  men 
speak  well  of  you,  applied  to  his  case.  In  the  midst  of 
these  thoughts,  he  accidentally  heard  a  man  lay  to  his 
charge  one  of  the  most  abominable  crimes.  At  first  he 
felt  irritated  ;  but  recollecting  his  previous  reflections, 
lie  was  soon  reconciled.  Towards  the  close  of  his  long 
and  useful  life,  he  was  much  afHicted  with  the  gravel,  of 
which  disease  he  died  when  he  was  about  eighty  years 
old.  Semple,  Edwards. 


DANIEL  MARSHALL.  The  following  account  of  this 
eminent  servant  of  God,  was  drawn  by  his  worthy  son, 
Rev.  Abraham  Marshall,  who  succeeded  his  father  in  the 
pastoral  station  at  Kioka.  It  was  first  published  in  the 
Georgia  Analytical  Repository,  and  afterwards  in  the 
History  of  the  Virginia  Baptists.  It  is  now  transcribed 
and  presented  to  the  reader  in  its  original  epistolary  form. 

"  In  giving  a  biographical  sketch  of  my  honoured 
t.-.ther,  \ve  rnuat  look  back  to  the  distance  of  almost  a 


Biography  of  Daniel  Marshall.  351 

century.  His  birth  was  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1 706, 
in  Windsor,  a  town  in  Connecticut.  He  was  religiously 
educated  by  respectable  and  pious  parents,  and  being 
hopefully  converted  at  about  twenty  years  of  age,  joined 
the  then  standing  order  of  Presbyterians,  in  his  native 
place.  The  natural  ardour  of  his  mind  soon  kindled  into 
the  fire  of  holy  zeal,  and  raised  him  so  high  in  the  es- 
teem of  his  brethren,  that  they  called  him  to  the  office 
of  a  deacon.  In  the  exemplary  discharge  of  his  duty, 
in  this  capacity,  he  continued  near  twenty  years.  Dur- 
ing this  time,  in  easy  circumstances,  he  married  and  lost 
a  wife,  by  whom  he  had  a  son  named  after  himself,  Dan- 
iel, who  is  still  a  useful  member  of  society.  At  the  age 
of  thirty-eight  years,  our  worthy  parent  was  one  of  the 
thousands  in  New-England,  who  heard  that  son  of  thun- 
der, the  Rev.  George  Whiteiield,  and  caught  his  seraph- 
ick  fire.  Firmly  believing  in  the  near  approach  of  the 
latter-day-glory,  when  the  Jews  with  the  fulness  of  the 
Gentiles,  shall  hail  their  Redeemer,  and  bow  to  his  gen- 
tle sceptre,  a  number  of  worthy  characters  ran  to  and  fro 
through  the  eastern  States,  warmly  exhorting  to  the 
prompt  adoption  of  every  measure  tending  to  hasten  that 
blissful  period.  Others  sold,  gave  away,  or  left  their  pos- 
sessions, as  the  powerful  impulse  of  the  moment  deter- 
mined, and  without  scrip  or  purse,  rushed  up  to  the  head 
of  the  Susquehanna,  to  convert  the  heathens,  and  settled 
in  a  town  c.alled  Onnaquaggy,  among  the  Mohawk  Indians. 
One,  and  not  the  least  sanguine  of  these  pious  missionaries, 
was  my  venerable  father.  Great  must  have  been  his  faith, 
great  his  zeal,  when,  without  the  least  prospect  of  a  tem- 
poral reward,  with  a  much-beloved  wife,  and  three  chil- 
dren, he  exchanged  his  commodious  buildings,  for  a  mis- 
erable hut;  his  fruitful  fields  and  loaded  orchards,  for  bar- 
ren deserts  ;  the  luxuries  of  a  well-furnished  table,  for 
coarse  and  scanty  fare  ;  and  numerous  civil  friends,  for 
rude  savages  !  He  had  the  happiness,  however,  to  teach 
and  exhort,  for  eighteen  months,  in  this  place,  with  consid- 
erable success.  A  number  of  the  Indians  were,  in  some 
degree,  impressed  with  eternal  concerns,  and  several 
became  cordially  obedient  to  the  gospel.  But  just  a» 
the  seeds  of  heavenly  truth,  sown  with  tears  in  this  un- 
promising soil,  began  to  appear  in  their  first  fruits,  the 


352  Biography  cf  Daniel  Marshall* 

breaking  out  of  war  among  the  savage  tribes  occasioned 
his  reluctant  removal  to  Conegocheague,  in  Pennsylvania. 
After  a  short  residence  in  this  settlement,  he  removed 
to  a  place  near  Winchester,  in  Virginia. 

"  Here  he  became  acquainted  with  a  Baptist  church, 
belonging  to  the  Philadelphia  Association  ;  and  as  the  re- 
suit  ofa  close,  impartial  examination  of  their  faith  and 
order,  he  and  my  dear  mother  were  baptized  by  immer- 
sion, in  the  forty-eighth  year  of  his  life.  He  was  now 
called,  as  a  licensed  preacher,  to  the  unrestrained  exer- 
cise of  his  gifts  ;  and  though  they  were  by  no  means 
above  mjediocrity,  he  was  instrumental  in  awakening  at- 
tention, in  many  of  his  hearers,  to  the  interests  of  their 
souls. 

"  Under  the  influence  of  an  anxious  desire  to  be  ex- 
tensively useful,  he  proceeded  from  Virginia  to  Hugh- 
warry,  in  North-Carolina,  where  his  faithful  and  inces- 
sant labours  proved  the  happy  means  of  arousing  and 
converting  numbers.  Being  so  evidently  and  eminently 
useful  as  an  itinerant  preacher,  he  continued  his  peregri- 
nation to  Abbot's  Creek,  in  the  same  State,  where  he  was 
the  instrument  of  planting  a  church,  of  which  he  was 
ordained  pastor,  in  the  fifty-second  year  of  his  age,  by 
his  brothers  in  law,  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Henry  Leadbetter, 
and  Shubaei  Stearns.  Soon  after  receiving  this  honour, 
my  reverend  father,  in  one  of  his  evangelical  journies  into 
Virginia,  had  the  singular  happiness  to  baptize  Col.  Sam- 
uel Harris,  with  whom  he  immediately  afterwards  made 
several  tours,  and  preached,  and  planted  the  gospel  in 
several  places,  as  far  as  James-river.  It  was  but  a  few 
years  after  his  ordination,  betore,  induced  by  appearances 
of  increasing  usefulness,  he  took  an  affectionate  leave 
of  his  beloved  charcre,  and  settled  on  Beaver  Creek,  in. 

• 

South-Carolina. 

"  In  this  place,  likewise,  a  large  church  was  raised 
under  his  ministry,  and,  till  brought  to  a  good  degree  of 
maturity  in  divine  things,  was  an  object  of  his  tender 
and  unremitted  care  and  solicitude.  At  the  direction  of 
Divine  Providence,  as  he  conceived,  and  as  subsequent 
events  have  proved,  his  next  removal  was  to  Horse  Creek, 
about  fifteen  miles  north  of  Augusta. 

"  The  fruits  of  his  labours  in  this  place  remain  in  a 


Biography  of  Daniel  Marsbail.  353 

respectable  church,  some  of  whose  sons,  raised  up  under 
his  care,  have  successfully  diffused  the  light  of  divine 
truth  through  various  benighted  regions.  From  Horse 
Creek  my  aged  father  made  his  first  visits  to  this  State. 
On  the  second  or  third  of  these,  while  in  prayer,  he  was 
seized,  in  the  presence  of  his  audience,  for  preaching  in 
the  parish  of  St.  Paul^  and  made  to  give  security  for  his 
appearance  in  Augusta,  the  Monday  following,  to  answer 
to  this  charge.  Accordingly  he  stood  a  trial,  and,  after 
his  meekness  and  patience  were  sufficiently  exercised,  was 
ordered  to  come  no  more  as  a  preacher  into  Georgia. 
In  the  words  of  an  Apostle,  similarly  circumstanced,  he 
replied,  "  Whether  it  be  right  to  obey  God  or  man,  judge  ye." 
Consistently  with  this  just  and  spirited  reply,  he  pur- 
sued his  successful  course,  and  on  the  first  of  January, 
1771,  came  with  his  family,  and  took  up  his  final  earth- 
ly residence  at  the  Kioka.  The  following  Spring  the 
church  here  was  formed,  and  is  famous  for  having 
furnished  materials  for  several  other  churches.  For 
this  purpose  many  common  members  have  been  dismiss- 
ed, and  several  ministers  have  been  ordained.  Among 
these  are  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Sanders  Walker,  Samuel  New- 
ton, Loveless  Savage,  Alexander  Scott,  and  the  writer  of 
this  article.  Through  God's  blessing  on  the  ministry 
of  her  indefatigable  founder  and  pastor,  this  church 
continued  to  lengthen  her  cords  and  strengthen  her 
stakes,  breaking  forth  on  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left, 
till  our  beloved  country  was  unhappily  involved  in  the 
horrors  of  war.  No  scenes,  however,  from  the  com- 
mencement to  the  termination  of  hostilities,  were  so 
gloomy  and  alarming  as  to  deter  my  father  from  dis- 
charging the  duties  of  his  station.  Neither  reproaches 
nor  threatenings  could  excite  in  him  the  least  appearance 
of  timidity,  or  any  thing  inconsistent  with  Christian  and 
ministerial  heroism. 

"  As  a  friend  to  the  American  cause,  he  was  once  made 
a  prisoner  and  put  under  a  strong  guard  ;  but  obtaining 
leave  of  the  officers,  he  commenced  and  supported  so 
heavy  a  charge  of  exhortation  and  prayer,  that,  like  Dan- 
iel of  old,  while  his  enemies  stood  amazed  and  con- 
founded, he  was  safely  and  honourably  delivered  from 
this  den  of  lions. 

VOL,  2.  4.5 


Biography  of  Daniel  Marshall 

"Even  the  infirmities  of  old  age,  and  the  evident  ap- 
proach of  the  king  of  terrors,  were  not  sufficient  to  shake 
his  faith  or  hope,  nor,  in  the  least  perceivable  degree,  to 
abate  his  zeal. 

"  A  few  months  previous  to  his  decease,  rising  in  his 
pulpit,  which  he  had  frequently  besprinkled  with  his  tears, 
and  from  which  he  had  often  descended  to  weep  over  a 
careless  auditory,  he  said,  "  I  address  you,  my  dear  hearers., 
with  a  diffidence  which  arises  from  a  failure  of  memory,  and 
a  general  weakness  of  body  and  mind,  common  to  my  years  ; 
but  I  recollect,  he  that  holds  out  to  the  end  shall  be  saved, 
and  am  resolved  to  finish  my  course  in  the  cause  of  God." 
Accordingly  he  attended  publick  worship  regularly,  even 
through  his  lingering  mortal  illness,  till  the  last  Sabbath 
but  one  before  his  dissolution.  In  his  family  he  invaria- 
bly performed  his  usual  round  of  holy  duties,  till  the 
morning  immediately  preceding  his  happy  change.  Fully 
apprized  of  this  as  at  hand,  and  perfectly  in  his  senses, 
he  expressed  distinctly  and  emphatically,  his  steady  and 
increasing  confidence  of  future  bliss. 

"  The  following,  taken  by  me,  in  the  presence  of  a 
few  deeply-affected  friends  and  relations,  are  his  last 
words  : — 

"  Dear  brethren  and  sisters,  I  am  just  gone.  This  night 
1  shall  probably  expire  ;  but  I  have  nothing  to  fear.  I  havf 
fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course,  I  have  kept  the 
faith ;  and  henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  right- 
eousness*  God  has  shewn  me  that  he  is  my  God,  that  I  am- 
bis  son,  and  that  an  eternal  weight  of  glory  is  mine  !" 

"  The  venerable  partner  of  his  cares,  (and  I  may  add, 
faithful  assistant  in  all  his  labours)  sitting  bedewed  with 
tears,  by  his  side,  he  proceeded,  "  Go  on,  my  dear  wife,  t» 
serve  the  Lord,  Hold  out  to  the  end.  Eternal  glory  is  before 
us  /" 

"After  a  silence  of  some  minutes,  he  called  me  and  said, 
"  My  breath  is  almost  gone.  I  have  been  praying  that  I  may 
go  home  to-night.  I  had  great  happiness  in  our  worship  this 
morning,  particularly  in  singing,  which  will  make  a  part  of  my 
exercise  in  a  blessed  eternity." 

"  Now  gently  closing  his  eyes,  he  cheerfully  gave  up 
his  soul  to  God,  with  whom,  I  doubt  not,  he  walks, 
"  high  in  salvation,  and  the  climes  of  bliss.'*  This  sol- 
emn event  took  place  at  the  dawn  of  the  2d  day  of 


Biography  of  Eliakim  Marsha!!.  355 

November,  1784,  in  the  78th  year  of  his  age.  A  suita- 
ble discourse  to  his  memory  was  delivered  by  the  late 
Rev.  Charles  Bussey." 

The  name  of  Mr.  Marshall's  first  wife  does  not  appear 
from  the  papers  respecting  him.  His  second  was  Martha 
Stearns,  sister  of  the  famous  Shubael  Stearns.  By  his 
first  wife  he  had  Daniel,  by  his  second,  Abraham,  John, 
Zaccheus,  Levi,  Moses,  Solomon, and  Joseph  ;  and  daugh- 
ters Eunice  and  Mary.  These  children  are  all  yet  living 
in  Georgia,  at  no  great  distance  from  the  place  in  which 
their  venerable  father  finished  his  earthly  course.  They 
all  possess  a  competency  of  worldly  things,  and  a  num- 
ber of  them  are  members  of  the  Kioka  and  other 
churches. 

Mr.  Marshall,  after  all  his  sacrifices  for  the  cause  of 
Christ,  was  always  blessed  by  a  bountiful  Providence 
with  a  sufficiency  of  the  meat  that  perisheth,  and  left 
behind  him  an  estate  of  considerable  value.  His  son 
Abraham  inhabits  the  mansion,  from  which  he  was  re- 
moved to  the  house  not  made  with  hands. 


ELIAKIM  MARSHALL  was  a  nephew  of  Daniel,  and  a 
native  of  Connecticut ;  but  the  time  or  place  of  his  birth 
I  have  not  learnt.  He  was  converted  under  the  ministry 
of  Mr.  Whitefield  in  the  New-light  Stir,  and  remained  a 
Pedobaptist  minister  about  thirty  years.  He  became  a 
Baptist  in  1786,  and  died  at  Windsor,  near  Hartford, 
1 75)  1 .  He  was  through  life  esteemed  a  preacher  of  piety 
and  talents.  He  was  also  often  a  member  of  the  Con- 
necticut Legislature.  As  he  became  a  Baptist  but  about 
five  years  before  his  death,  he  was  not  much  known 
among- the  denomination  ;  but  on  account  of  some  cir- 
cumstances which  attended  his  conviction  of  Baptist  sen- 
timents, his  biography  appears  worthy  of  being  recorded. 
While  Abraham  Marshall,  of  Georgia,  was  on  his  way  to 
visit  New-England  in  1736,  at  Philadelphia  he  fell  in 
with  Mr.  Winchester,  of  whom  he  inquired  respecting 
his  relatives  in  Connecticut.  He  informed  him  what  he 
knew  ;  and  among  other  things  observed,  that  Eliakim 
Marshall,  of  Windsor,  was  a  man  of  a  sound  judgment,  a 
retentive  memory,  and  a  tender  conscience.  "  Well," 


356  Biography  of  Eliakim  Marshall. 

replied  Abraham,  "if  this  be  his  character,  I  shall  expect 
to  baptize  him  before  I  return  ;  for  if  he  has  a  sound 
judgment,  he  will  understand  my  arguments  in  favour 
of  believers'  baptism,  and  against  that  of  infants  ;  if  he 
has  a  strong  memory  he  will  retain  them ;  and  if  he 
has  a  tender  conscience,  they  will  have  an  influence  on 
his  mind.  With  a  firm  persuasion,  that  he  should  lead 
his  relative  into  the  water,  he  prosecuted  his  journey  to 
Connecticut.  We  have  seen,  in  the  history  of  theKioka 
church,  that  this  Abraham  Marshall  was  only  three  years 
old  when  his  father  went  from  Connecticut,  among  the 
Mohawk  Indians.  He  was  of  course  unknown  to  any 
of  his  relatives  here ;  but  he  was  received  among  them 
cordially,  and  treated  with  respect,  and  he  made  Elia- 
kim's  house  his  home.  He  kept  in  mind  what  Mr. 
Winchester  had  told  him  of  this  cousin  ;  but  he  resolved 
that  he  would  not  be  forward  to  introduce  the  subject  of 
baptism,  nor  press  him  too  hard  at  first.  Eliakim  fre- 
quently expressed  a  desire  to  hear  what  his  new  relation, 
as  he  called  him,  had  to  say  in  defence  of  the  opinions  in 
which  they  differed  ;  but  Abraham  waved  the  matter 
for  a  time.  At  length,  from  slight  skirmishes,  they,  by 
mutual  consent,  entered  with  all  their  strength  into  the 
baptismal  controversy,  in  which  Eliakim  had  been  a  man 
of  war  from  his  youth,  and  now  manifested  a  strong 
assurance  of  victory.  He  began  with  Abraham's  Co-venanf, 
and  mustered  all  the  arguments  usually  brought  in  de- 
fence of  Pedobaptism.  Abraham,  on  the  other  hand, 
opposed  his  whole  system,  as  destitute  of  Scripture  proof, 
and  adduced  his  reasons  for  his  different  belief.  At  the 
first  onset,  this  old  Pedobaptist  divine,  as  he  afterwards 
acknowledged  to  a  friend,  had  but  two  arguments  left 
for  the  support  of  his  system  ;  and  continuing  to  lose 
ground,  while  striving  with  himself  to  regain  it,  in  the 
next  attack  he  was  completely  defeated,  and  in  a  short 
time  after  confessed  his  conscience  could  not  be  easy  till 
he  was  baptized.  But  a  trouble  arose  on  account  of  his 
wife,  who  was  much  opposed  to  this  change  in  his  sen- 
timents. He  mentioned  this  circumstance  to  Abraham, 
and  requested  his  advice.  He  replied  that  his  youth  did 
not  qualify  him  to  prescribe  duty  to  a  man  of  his  years  ; 
^  but,"  said  he,  "  1  will  mention  two  passages  of  Scrip- 


Biography  of  Silas  Mercer.  3.57 

ture,  which  my  father  frequently  made  use  of  in  difficult 
cases,  which  are  these.  /  conferred  not  with  fash  and  blood. 
What  thy  hand  findetb  to  do,  do  it  with  thy  might.  The  ten- 
der conscience  of  this  aged  convert  urged  him  on  to  duty; 
and,  according  to  Abraham's  expectation,  he  was  baptized 
by  him  the  day  before  he  left  the  place.  A  large  con- 
course of  people,  supposed  to  be  two  or  three  thousand, 
collected  to  witness  the  administration  of  the  solemn 
rite.  The  venerable  candidate  addressed  them  in  a  most 
melting  manner  :  "  I  was  awakened,"  said  he,  "  under 
the  preaching  of  Whitefield,  about  forty  years  ago,  at 
which  time  my  mind  was  solemnly  impressed  with  this 
sentiment,  God  is  wisdom  ;  he,  therefore,  knows  all  my 
thoughts,  and  all  I  do.  I  was  in  the  next  place  impress- 
ed  with  this  sentence,  God  is  holiness,  and  must,  therefore, 
hate  all  in  me,  which  his  wisdom  sees  is  wrong.  I  was 
in  the  third  place  impressed  with  this  solemn  thought, 
God  is  power  ;  this  struck  me  like  thunder,  and  brought 
me  to  the  ground."  So  saying,  he  burst  into  tears,  and 
in  a  moment  the  tears  were  flowing  from  a  thousand 
eyes.  "  After  labouring  a  few  days,"  continued  he, 
"  under  these  weighty  impressions,  the  soothing  decla- 
ration, God  is  love,  relieved  my  distress,  removed  my 
fears,  and  filled  me  with  unspeakable  joy."  He  expa- 
tiated largely  on  the  interesting  event  of  his  conversion, 
and  the  most  solemn  attention  pervaded  the  great  as- 
sembly. 

SII.AS  MERCER  was  born  near  Currituck  Bay,  North- 
Carolina,  February,  1 745.  His  mother  died  while  he  was 
an  infant ;  his  father  was  a  zealous  member  of  the  Church 
of  England,  and  carefully  instructed  him  in  the  catechism, 
rites,  and  traditions  of  that  communion.  From  enrly 
years,  young  Silas  was  religiously  inclined;  but  it  was  not 
till  after  he  arrived  at  manhood,  that  he  was  brought  to 
the  knowledge  of  salvation  through  a  divine  Redeemer. 
He  was  for  a  long  time  embarrassed  and  bewildered  with 
that  legal  system,  which  he  had  been  taught  in  his  mother 
Church,  and  so  deeply  rooted  were  the  prejudices  of  his 
education,  that  it  took  him  long  to  learn  that  salvation 
is  not  of  works.  But  he  at  length  gained  clear  and 
consistent  views  of  the  gospel  plan,  and  was,  through  hi* 


358  Biography  of  Silas  Mercer. 

long  ministry,  a  distinguished  and  powerful  defender  of 
the  doctrine  of  free,  unmerited  grace. 

Until   after   his   conversion,  Mr.   Mercer  •  was    most 
violently  opposed  to  Dissenters  in  general,  and  to  the 
Baptists  in  particular.     He  would  on  no  account  hear 
one  preach,  and  endeavoured  to  dissuade  all  others  from 
attending  their  meetings.    He  most  firmly  believed  what 
his  father  and  parson  had  taught  him,  that  they  were  all 
a  set  of  deceivers,  that  their  heresies  were  dangerous  if 
not  damnable,  and  that  to  hear  one  preach  would  be  a 
crime  of  peculiar  enormity.     He  knew,  however,  but 
little  about  them,  only  that  they  had  separated  from  the 
Church,  and  ought  therefore  to  be  opposed  and  avoided. 
For  these  reasons  he  continued  a  violent  opposer  to  them, 
and  zealously  to  defend  the  Church  ;  but  his  ingenuous 
mind  could  not  long  be  restrained  by  the  shackles  of 
tradition,   without  examining   things  for    himself;    he 
therefore  began  a  course  of  inquiries,  which  gradually 
undermined  his  traditionary  creed,  and  led  on  to  the 
Baptist  ground.     He  first  resolved  to  follow  strictly  the 
Rubrick  of  the  Church,  both  in  doctrine  and  discipline ; 
and  finding  it  enjoined  immersion,  unless  the  weakness  of 
the  child  required  a  milder  mode,  he  had  two  of  his 
children  dipped.     The  first  a  son,  in  a  barrel  of  water  at 
the  priest's  house  ;   and  the  other  a  daughter,  in  a  tub, 
whicft  had  been  prepared  for  the  purpose  at  the  Church. 
The  son  was  named  Jesse,  who  is  now  a  worthy  minister 
in  Georgia  ;  he  was  baptized  again,  on  a  profession  of  his 
faith,  and  is  of  course  an  ^wj-Baptist.     Mr.  Mercer  was 
also  struck  with  the  neglect  of  discipline  in  the  Church  ; 
he  saw  with  pain  that  persons  grossly  immoral  in  many 
respects  were  admitted  to  their  communion,  and  became 
convinced  that  things  ought  not  so  to  be.    Hervey's  T he- 
ron and  Aspasio  started  him  from  the  Arminian  system, 
and  set  him  on  a  train  of  reflections,  which  issued  in  a 
thorough  conviction  of  the  doctrine  of  the  gospel.     He 
laboured  for  a  time  to  reform  the  church;  but  finding 
the  building  was  too  far  gone  to  be  repaired,  he  receded 
from  it  with  reluctant  steps,  and  became  a  Baptist  when 
he  was  about  thirty  years  of  age,  and  continued  from 
that  time  to  the   end  of  his  life  an  ornament  to  their 
cause,   and  a   skilful   defender   of  their   distinguishing 
tenets. 


Biography  of  Silas  Mercer.  359 

Few  men,  perhaps,  have  had  more  severe  conflicts  in 
renouncing  the  prejudices  of  education,  than  Mr.  Mercer. 
His  kind  but  bigotted  father  threw  in  his  way  obstacles, 
which  he  could  not  at  first  surmount ;  the  church  priest, 
and  the  whole  Episcopal  fraternity  around  him,  used  the 
most  assiduous  endeavours  to  prevent  him  from  going 
amongst  the  heretical  Baptists.  The  first  minister  of  the 
denomination  he  ever  heard  preach,  was  a  Mr.  Thomas, 
at  that  time  a  successful  preacher  in  North-Carolina.  It 
was  with  much  reluctance,  and  with  many  fearful  appre- 
hensions of  the  dangerous  consequences,  that  he  was  in- 
duced to  attend  the  meeting.  But  in  spite  of  all  his 
prejudices,  the  preacher  drew  his  attention,  and  led  him 
to  think  he  was  not  such  a  dangerous  deceiver  as  he  had 
always  before  supposed.  This  was  on  Monday.  The 
next'Lord's-day,  the  priest  being  absent,  and  his  father 
being  clerk,  performed  as  usual  the  duties  of  his  office. 
As  yet  none  of  the  family  knew  that  Silas  had  been  to 
the  Baptist  meeting.  After  the  service  of  the  day  was 
over,  a  person  asked  him,  in  the  hearing  of  his  father, 
how  he  liked  the  Baptist  preacher  ?  He  was  much  con- 
fused, and  knew  not  what  to  answer  ;  but  his  conscience 
obliged  him  to  express  some  degree  of  approbation.  At 
which  the  old  gentleman  burst  into  tears,  and  exclaimed, 
"  Silas,  you  are  ruined  \"  and  out  he  went,  hastily  home. 
Silas,  alarmed,  took  hastily  after  him,  to  soothe  his  grief, 
and  appease  hh>  resentment.  The  offended  father  and 
offending  son  were  so  deeply  affected  with  the  trifling 
a  flair,  that  they  forgot  their  wives,  and  left  them  to  go 
home  alone.  The  charm  was  now  broken;  and  from  this 
period  Mr.  M,  began  to  entertain  more  favourable  views 
of  the  people  he  had  hitherto  so  much  censured  and  des- 
pised. Not  long  after  this,  he  removed  to  Georgia,  and 
settled  in  what  is  now  Wilks  county,  where,  about  177-3, 
he  was  baptized  by  Mr.  Alexander  Scott,  united  with  the 
church  at  Kioka,  by  which  he  was  almost  immediately 
approbated  to  preach.  At  the  commencement  of  the 
American  war,  he  fled  for  shelter  to  Halifax  county,  in 
his  native  State,  where  he  continued  about  six  years,  all 
of  which  time  he  was  incessantly  engaged  in  preaching 
as  an  itinerant  in  different  places  around  ;  and  it  is  found, 
by  his  journal,  that,  take  the  whole  six  years  together,  he 
preached  oftener  than  once  a  day  j  that  iss  more  than 


360  Biography  of  Silas  Merctr. 

two  thousand  sermons  in  the  time.  At  the  close  of  the 
war,  he  returned  to  his  former  residence  in  Georgia, 
where  he  continued  to  the  end  of  his  days.  In  this 
State,  he  laboured  abundantly  with  good  effect,  and  was 
the  means  of  planting  a  number  of  churches  in  different 
parts  of  the  country.  He  was  justly  esteemed  one  of  the 
most  exemplary  and  useful  ministers  in  the  southern 
States.  His  learning  was  not  great,  but  having  a  desire 
that  his  young  brethren  might  obtain  greater  advantages 
than  he  had  enjoyed,  he  had  set  up  a  school  at  his  house, 
procured  an  able  teacher,  and  was  in  a  promising  way  to 
promote  the  interests  of  learning  in  the  churches  around 
him  ;  but  in  the  midst  of  his  benevolent  plans  and  dis- 
tinguished usefulness,  he  was,  after  a  short  illness,  remov- 
ed from  the  scene  of  his  employments,  in  17^6,  in  the 
52d  year  of  his  age. 

The  following  portrait  of  Mr.  Mercer's  character,  is 
found  in  Mr.  Semple's  History  of  the  Virginia  Baptists, 
page  82.  "  Mr.  Mercer,  both  in  countenance  and  man- 
ners, had  considerably  the  appearance  of  sternness ;  and 
to  feel  quite  free  in  his  company,  it  was  necessary  to  be 
well  acquainted  with  him.  He  seldom  talked  on  any 
other  subject  except  religion ;  and  when  in  company  with 
young  preachers,  or  those  who  might  question  his  doc- 
trine or  his  opinions,  his  remarks  chiefly  turned  on  po- 
lemical points.  He  was  indefatigable  in  striving  to 
maintain  his  opinions ;  and  for  this  purpose  would  hear 
any  and  all  objections  that  could  be  raised,  and  would 
then  labour  assiduously  to  remove  them.  His  argu- 
ments, however,  neither  in  private  nor  publick,  were  ever 
dressed  with  oratorical  ornaments.  He  spoke  and  acted 
like  one  who  felt  himself  surrounded  by  the  impregna- 
ble bulwarks  of  truth,  and  therefore  did  not  wish  to 
parley."* 

He  was  more  distinguished  as  a  preacher  than  writer ; 
but  he  devoted  considerable  time  to  study,  and  the  fol- 
lowing pieces  were  the  productions  of  his  leisure  hours  : 

1  st.  Tyranny  Exposed,  and  True  Liberty  Discovered, 
in  a  12mo.  pamphlet  of  68  pages,  the  design  of  which 
was  to  show  the  rise,  reign,  and  downfall  of  Antichrist. 

*  Mr.  Mercer  ;K  here  described  as  lie  appeared  in  Virginia,  in  179),  in  cnm- 

Sany  with  Jeremiah  Wulkc-r,  in  the  time  of  a  great  controversy 
cctrinal  points. 


Biography  of  Joshua  Morse,,  361 

2d.  The  Supposition  of  the  Divine  Right  of  Infants 
to  Baptism,  from  their  formerly  having  a  Right  to  Cir- 
cumcision, Confuted,  being  a  Letter  to  a  Friend.  This 
piece  was  not  printed. 

3d.  The  History  of  Baptism,  carried  to  some  extent, 
but  left  unfinished. 

4th.     Two  Letters  on  Election,  left  unpublished. 


JOSHUA  MORSE  was,  in  his  day,  a  very  eminent  preach- 
er among  the  Baptists  in  New-England.  He  waj  born 
in  South-Kingston,  Rhode-Island,  April  10,  1726.  His 
grandfather  came  from  the  west  of  England  to  Rhode- 
Island,  in  the  early  part  of  the  settlement  of  the  colony, 
and  served  as  a  chaplain  in  the  first  war  in  which  this 
country  was  engaged  against  the  French,  The  son,  from 
whom  the  subject  of  this  memoir  descended,  whose  name 
does  not  appear,  was  not  a  professor  of  religion,  but  was 
by  education  a  Baptist,  as  his  father  was  of  that  persua- 
sion. Young  Joshua,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  in  the  time 
of  the  New-light  Stir,  was  awakened  to  religious  con- 
cern. When  the  zealous  New-lights  began  to  make  a 
noise  in  the  neighbourhood,  he,  with  others,  was  ready 
to  reproach  and  despise  them  ;  but  the  very  first  meet- 
ing he  attended,  his  mind  was  arrested.  When  he  first 
entered  it,  he  saw  them  so  zealously  affected,  that  he 
hesitated  not  to  say  that  they  were  all  deluded  ;  but  lie 
came  away  under  fearful  apprehensions  of  being  made 
miserable  forever.  Soon  after  he  was  brought  to  rejoice 
in  the  truth,  he  became  a  zealous  exhorter,  and  at  the 
age  of  eighteen  commenced  his  ministerial  labours,  which 
he  continued  with  much  reputation  and  success  for  up- 
wards of  fifty  years.  The  early,  and  indeed  the  greatest 
part  of  his  ministry,  was  spent  in  Connecticut.  He  first 
began  preaching  in  Stonington,  where  he  was  much  op- 
posed, abused  and  persecuted,  by  a  set  of  bigotted  gen- 
try, who  declared  that  his  preaching  was  not  according  to 
law.  At  that  time,  every  man  who  opened  his  doors  for 
a  dissenter  to  preach,  was  liable  to  be  fined  fve  pounds, 
the  preacher  was  subjected  to  a  fine  of  ten  shillings,  and 

VOL.  2.  46 


362  Biography  of  Josfaa  Morse. 

every  hearer  to  Jive.  The  very  first  time  Mr.  Morse 
preached  in  Stonington,  he  was  apprehended,  carried  be- 
fore a  magistrate,  sentenced  to  pay  the  ten  shillings,  or 
be  whipped  ten  lashes,  at  the  publick  whipping-post. 
The  fine  he  could  not  pay,  and  of  course  the  lashes  he 
was  preparing  to  receive.  He  was  taken  to  the  post  by 
the  order  of  the  magistrate,  but  the  constable,  instead  of 
inflicting  the  lashes,  plead  the  cause  of  the  innocent  suf- 
ferer, remonstrated  against  the  wickedness  of  the  law, 
the  cruelty  of  the  court,  and  utterly  refused  performing 
the  barbarous  duty  which  had  been  assigned  him.  After 
spending  some  time  in  this  awkward  position,  the  con- 
stable tendered  the  magistrate  from  his  own  pocket  the 
fine  which  had  been  exacted.  The  magistrate,  probably 
ashamed  of  his  conduct,  offered  it  to  Mr.  Morse,  and  bid 
him  receive  it,  and  go  peaceably  away.  But  as  he  would 
pay  no  money,  so  he  would  receive  none,  and  his  perse- 
cutors finding  him  rather  unmanageable,  went  off  and 
left  him  to  take  his  own  course.  For  a  number  of  years 
after  this,  he  was  often  opposed,  sometimes  by  law^  but 
more  frequently  by  mobs.  His  preaching  was  attended 
with  much  success,  and  that  encouraged  him  and  enraged 
his  opposers.  In  one  of  his  meetings,  one  of  the  rever- 
end gentlemen  of  the  town  came  in  just  as  he  was  begin- 
ning his  sermon,  put  his  hand  on  his  mouth,  and  then 
bid  a  brother,  whom  he  had  brought  with  him,  to  strike 
him.  At  another  time  a  man  came  in  while  he  was 
preaching,  and  struck  him  with  such  violence  on  his 
temple,  that  it  brought  him  to  the  floor  ;  when  he  arose, 
he  looked  on  his  persecutor,  and  with  emotions  of  pity, 
said,  "  If  you  die  a  natural  death,  the  Lord  hath  not 
spoken  by  me."  This  man,  not  long  after,  went  to  sea, 
fell  from  the  vessel,  and  was  drowned.  At  another 
meeting  he  was  knocked  down  while  in  prayer  j  he  was 
then  seized  by  the  hair,  dragged  out  of  the  house  down 
high  steps  to  the  ground,  and  so  deeply  bruised  in  his 
head  and  face,  that  he  carried  some  of  the  scars  to  his 
grave.  These  are  a  few  of  the  sufferings  of  this  eminent 
man  of  God  in  the  early  part  of  his  ministry.  He  was 
also  frequently  threatened  by  mobs,  who  did  not  carry 
their  persecuting  designs  info  execution.  After  preach- 
ing once  in  Stonington,  he  was  informed  that  a  gang  was 


Biography  of  Joshua  Morse.  363 

out  of  doors,  who,  like  Paul's  persecutors,  had  sworn 
that  they  would  kill  him  when  he  came  out.  His  wife, 
who,  it  appears,  was  with  him,  and  his  friends  entreated 
him  not  to  go  out  ;  but  having  another  appointment 
some  distance  off,  he  resolved  to  fulfil  it,  and  said  to  his 
friends,  "  What  mean  ye  to  weep  and  break  my  heart  ?"  &c. 
As  soon  as  he  was  out  of  the  door,  he  lifted  up  his  hands 
and  began  to  pray  for  his  persecutors  ;  they,  confounded 
by  this  new  mode  of  warfare,  immediately  dropped  their 
clubs ;  some  begged  his  pardon,  and  the  rest  fled  away. 

But  in  the  midst  of  all  these  persecutions,  his  labours 
were  attended  with  great  success  ;  many  were  awakened 
by  his  means,  and  some  churches  in  Rhode-Island  and 
Connecticut  arose  under  his  ministry.  About  1 75O,  he 
was  ordained  to  the  care  of  a  church  in  the  north  parish 
of  New-London,  now  called  Montville.  Two  or  three 
years  after  he  moved  to  Fishkill  in  the  State  of  New- York, 
were  he  remained  about  two  years,  when,  by  the  earnest 
entreaties  of  the  church  which  he  had  left,  he  came  back 
to  live  among  them.  Here  he  preached  principally  until 
1779,  when  he  removed  to  Sandisfield,  Massachusetts, 
where  a  church  arose  under  his  labours,  which  he  con- 
tinued to  serve  as  pastor,  until  within  about  a  month  of 
his  death,  which  happened  July,  179.5,  in  the  7Oth  year  of 
his  age,  and  53d  of  his  ministry.  He  had  been  some 
time  labouring  under  a  disease,  which  he  expected  would 
end  in  his  dissolution.  About  four  weeks  before  he 
died,  he  called  his  church  together,  and  gave  them  his 
last  advice  and  benediction.  He  had  composed  a  hymn 
to  be  sung  at  his  funeral,  and  he  now  made  choice  of  a 
passage  to  be  preached  from  on  the  solemn  occasion, 
which  was,  This  is  a  faithful  saying,  and  worthy  of  all 
acceptation,  that  Christ  Jesus  came  into  the  world  t9  save  sin- 
ners,  of  whom  I  am  chief.  The  sermon  was  preached  by 
Elder  Rufus  Babcock,  of  Colcbrook. 

Mr.  Morse  was  early  acquainted  with  Mr.  Whitefield, 
and  caught  much  of  the  zeal  of  that  famous  itinerant. 
His  preaching  was  solemn  and  instructive,  and  the  rules, 
which  he  laid  down  for  others,  he  practised  himself.  He 
was  singularly  grave  and  devout,  insomuch  that  it  is 
said  by  those  who  were  long  acquainted  with  him,  that 
he  was  never  known  to  laugh.  He  often  entered  so 


364?  Biography  of  Joseph  Reese. 

feelingly  into  his  discourses,  as  to  weep  almost  from  be- 
ginning to  end.  He  was  well  instructed  in  the  doctrine 
of  the  cross  ;  and  his  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures  was 
exceeded  by  few.  His  memory  was  retentive,  his  voice 
peculiarly  commanding  and  impressive,  and  his  preach- 
ing, if  not  eloquent,  was  pathetick  and  persuasive. 

He  was  honoured  in  every  relation  he  sustained,  and 
his  usefulness  as  a  minister  of  the  word  was  exceeded  by 
few  in  his  day.  He  was  above  the  middle  stature,  of  a 
robust  constitution,  and  well  fitted  for  the  labours  and 
hardships  which  itinerant  preachers  of  his  time  were 
obliged  to  endure.  Being  honoured  of  his  God  as  the 
instrument  of  turning  many  to  righteousness,  and  al- 
ways bearing  about  with  him  the  marks  of  the  Lord 
Jesus,  he  was  much  beloved  throughout  an  extensive 
circle  when  living,  and  his  name  is  still  mentioned  with 
peculiar  marks  of  respect,  by  many  of  the  ancient  saints, 
who  enjoyed  his  acquaintance. 

Mr.  Morse  married,  when  about  24  years  of  age,  Su- 
sannah, the  eldest  daughter  of  Mr.  Joseph  Babcock,  of 
Westerly,  Rhode-Island,  by  whom  he  had  many  children. 
Seven  of  them  are  yet  living,  and  his  youngest  son  Asahel 
is  pastor  of  the  church  in  Suffield,  Connecticut.  From 
his  narrative  of  the  life  of  his  venerable  father,  the  sub- 
stance of  this  sketch  has  been  extracted.  His  widow  sur- 
vived him  about  fifteen  years,  and  died  lately  in  the  80th 
year  of  her  age. 


JOSEPH  REESE  was  born  at  Duck-Creek,  in  Kent  coun- 
ty, then  in  the  Province  of  Pennsylvania,  but  now  in  the 
State  of  Delaware.  He  was  removed  to  South-Carolina 
in  1745,  when  but  9  years  of  age,  and  during  his  youth- 
ful days  was  very  gay  and  fond  of  pleasure.  His  conver- 
sion, therefore,  which  took  place  in  J760,  under  the 
ministry  of  Rev.  Philip  Mulky,  was  remarkable,  and  drew 
much  attention.  Mr.  Reese  was  baptized  soon  after  his 
conversion  by  Mr.  Mulky,  and  commenced  preaching 
soon  after  his  baptism.  His  ordination,  however,  for 
some  reason,  was  deferred  until  3763,  when  it  was  per- 
formed by  Messrs.  Oliver  Hart  and  Evan  Pugh.  He  was 
at  the  same,  time  installed  pastor  of  the  church  at  the 


Biography  sf  Joseph  Reese.  365 

Congaree,  with  which  he  stood  in  that  relation,  except  a 
few  years  during  the  revolutionary  war,  till  his  death, 
which  took  place  March  5,  1795,  when  he  was  aged  63 
years. 

The  Church  at  the  High  Hills  of  Santee  was  gathered 
under  his  ministry,  in  1770  ;  at  which  time  and  place  a 
great  attention  to  religion  was  excited  by  his  preaching 
among  a  numerous  people,  who  had  been  till  then  very 
careless,  and  unacquainted  with  vital  religion. 

He  was  very  infirm  about  ten  years  before  his  death  ; 
and  during  the  last  two  of  them,  one  of  the  most  afflict- 
ed of  men.  But  during  the  whole,  he  exhibited  a  sub- 
lime example  of  faith,  patience,  and  resignation  to  the 
will  of  God  ;  of  concern  for  the  divine  glory,  for  the  in- 
terests of  the  church  at  large,  of  that  with  which  he  was 
connected  in  particular,  and  for  the  salvation  of  individ- 
uals with  whom  he  was  connected  or  conversant.  When 
publick  worship  was  supported  at  the  place  of  worship 
nearest  to  him,  about  three  miles  distant,  he  was  several 
times  carried  there  on  his  bed,  lying  down  during  the  ser- 
vice ;  and  if  he  found  himself  able,  which  he  sometimes 
did,  would  sit  up  at  the  conclusion  of  worship,  and  address 
a  few  words  to  the  congregation  in  the  style  of  conversa- 
tion and  advice,  by  which  they  were  generally  melted  into 
tears.  His  last  attendance  at  the  church  was  about  twelve 
months  before  his  death  ;  at  ,which  time,  in  great  pain 
and  weakness,  he  administered  the  Lord's  Supper.  God 
was  pleased,  in  the  midst  of  all  his  affliction,  to  afford  him 
the  consolations  of  his  grace,  and  he  died  in  much  assur- 
ance of  his  interest  in  the  Redeemer,  whom  he  loved. 

Mr.  Reese  was  a  man  of  good  understanding  and  warm 
affections.  His  piety,  it  is  believed,  was  never  called  in 
question.  He  had  but  little  education,  though  he  made 
improvements  after  he  began  to  preach ;  but  he  had  a 
large  fund  of  evangelical  and  experimental  knowledge. 
His  natural  eloquence,  and  command  of  the  passions  of 
his  hearers,  were  extraordinary.  He  was  both  a  Boa- 
nerges,and  a  son  of  consolation. ..  His  voice  and  his  coun- 
tenance are  said  to  have  affected  his  hearers  like  an  en- 
chantment.  In  the  early  part  of  his  ministry  he  met  with 
much  opposition,  but  with  surprising  success. 

One  William  Reese  was  exceedingly  mad  against  him, 
as  he  was  preaching  at  the  High  Hills  of  Santee,  swear- 


366  Biography  of  Shubael  Stearns. 

ing  and  threatening  what  he  would  do  to  him  ;  but  be- 
fore the  service  of  the  day  was  over,  this  same  opposer 
was  observed  to  tremble,  and  look  about  him  as  if  he  was 
meditating  to  run  away,  but  did  not  do  so  ;  presently  he 
swooned  ;  when  he  came  to  himself  and  appearing  in  a 
shivering  condition,  a  companion  of  his  said,  "  Will,  you 
are  cold,  will  you  go  to  the  fire  ?"  He  replied,  "  1  am 
going  to  the  fire  !  the  fire  of  hell !  O  Lord,  save  me  !" 
His  distress  was  great  for  a  considerable  time,  during 
which  he  made  a  pubiick  acknowledgment  of  his  wicked 
conduct  and  persecuting  intentions. 

At  another  time,  when  he  was  preaching  at  Congaree, 
one  Robert  Liass  made  towards  him  with  a  hickory  club, 
saying,  "  that  he  would  wear  it  out  on  the  bawling  dog's 
back."  But  he  was  hindered  from  his  purpose,  and  per- 
suaded to  be  quiet.  Soon  after  he  was  observed  to  be  af- 
fected, but  said  nothing.  It  was  not  long,  however,  be- 
fore he  sent  for  Mr.  Reese  in  the  night,  and  said,  "  I  am 
damned !  I  am  going  to  hell  !"  Mr.  Reese  said,  "  Per- 
haps not,  perhaps  not."  Liass  replied  hastily,  "  Is  there  a 
peradventure  ?  thank  God  for  that !  Had  I  certainty  of 
it  I  would  endure  a  thousand  deaths !  I  would  rot  piece 
by  piece,  and  be  a  thousand  years  rotting,  if  it  would  se- 
cure me  from  going  to  hell !" 

Whether  these  men,  who  were  so  remarkably  convict- 
ed, were  ever  converted,  we  are  not  informed. 

Mr.  Reese  was  a  warm  friend  to  his  country  in  the 
revolutionary  war,  and  represented  the  district  in  which 
he  lived,  in  the  State  Legislature,  when  the  first  consti- 
tution was  formed  for  South- Carolina. 


SHUBAEL  STEARNS.  The  outlines  of  Mr.  Stearns's  bi- 
ography have  been  given  in  the  history  of  the  Separate 
Baptists  ;  and  as  much  has  already  been  said  of  this  emi- 
nent man  of  God,  it  will  be  unnecessary  to  say  much 
more  respecting  him. 

Mr.  Stearns  was  a  man  of  small  stature,  but  of  good 
natural  parts,  and  sound  judgment.  Of  learning  he 
had  but  a  little  share,  yet  was  pretty  well  acquainted 
with  books.  His  voice  was  musical  and  strong,  which 


Biography  of  Shubael  Stearns.  367 

he  managed  in  such  a  manner,  as  one  while,  to  make  soft 
impressions  on  the  heart,  and  fetch  tears  from  the  eyes 
in  a  mechanical  way  ;  and  anon,  to  shake  the  very  nerves, 
and  throw  the  animal  system  into  tumults  and  perturba- 
tions. All  the  Separate  Baptists  copied  after  him  in 
tones  of  voice  and  actions  of  body  ;  and  some  few  exceed- 
ed him.  His  character  was  indisputably  good,  both  as  a 
man,  a  Christian,  and  a  preacher.  In  his  eyes  was  some- 
thing very  penetrating,  which  seemed  to  have  a  meaning 
in  every  glance.  Many  stories  have  been  told  respecting 
the  enchantments  of  his  eyes  and  voice,  but  the  two  fol- 
lowing examples  we  give,  with  the  more  confidence,  be- 
cause the  subjects  of  them,  viz.  Tidence  Lane  and  Elna- 
than  Davis,  were  men  of  sense  and  reputation,  and  af- 
terwards became  distinguished  ministers  of  the  Baptist 
society. 

"  When  the  fame  of  Mr.  Stearns's  preaching  (said  Mr. 
Lane)  had  reached  the  Yadkin,* where  I  lived,  I  felt  a  cu- 
riosity to  go  and  hear  him.  Upon  my  arrival,  1  saw  a 
venerable  old  man  sitting  under  a  peach-tree  with  a  book 
in  his  hand,  and  the  people  gathering  about  him.  He 
fixed  his  eyes  upon  me  immediately,  which  made  me 
feel  in  such  a  manner  as  I  never  had  felt  before.  I  turn- 
ed to  quit  the  place,  but  could  not  proceed  far.  I  walk- 
ed about,  sometimes  catching  his  eyes  as  I  walked.  My 
uneasiness  increased  and  became  intolerable.  I  went  up 
to  him,  thinking  that  a  salutation  and  shaking  hands 
would  relieve  me  ;  but  it  happened  otherwise.  I  began  to 
think  that  he  had  an  evil  eye,  and  ought  to  be  shunned  ; 
but  shunning  him  I  could  no  more  effect,  than  a  bird 
can  shun  the  rattle-snake,  when  it  fixes  its  eyes  upon 
it.  When  he  began  to  preach,  my  perturbations  increas- 
ed, so  that  nature  could  no  longer  support  them,  and  I 
sunk  to  the  ground.'* 

Mr.  Lane  afterwards  became  a  very  useful  Baptist  min- 
ister, and  was  one  of  the  first  of  the  denomination,  who 
removed  to  Tennessee,  where  he  administered,  until  hi> 
death,  with  reputation  and  success. 

"  Elnathan  Davis  had  heard  that  one  John  Steward 
was  to  be  baptized  such  a  day,  by  Mr.  Stearns.  Now  this 
Steward  being  a  very  large  man,  and  Stearns  of  small 
stature,  he  concluded  there  would  be  some  diversion  if 


368  Biography  of  Sbubael  Stearns. 

not  drowning ;  therefore  he  gathered  about  eight  or  ten 
of  his  companions  in  wickedness,  and  went  to  the  spot. 
Mr.  Stearns  came,  and  began  to  preach.  Elnathan  went 
to  hear  him,  while  his  companions  stood  at  a  distance. 
He  was  no  sooner  among  the  crowd,  than  he  perceived 
some  of  the  people  tremble,  as  if  in  a  fit  of  the  ague  ;  he 
felt  and  examined  them,  in  order  to  find  if  it  were  not 
a  dissimulation  ;  meanwhile  one  man  leaned  on  his 
shoulder,  weeping  bitterly  ;  Elnathan,  perceiving  he  had 
wet  his  new  white  coat,  pushed  him  off,  and  ran  to  his 
companions,  who  were  sitting  on  a  log  at  a  distance. 
When  he  came,  one  said,  "  Well,  Elnathan,  what  do 

you  think  now  of  these people  ?"  affixing  to  them 

a  profane  and  reproachful  epithet.  He  replied,  "  There 
is  a  trembling  arid  crying  spirit  among  them  ;  but  wheth- 
er it  be  the  Spirit  of  God  or  the  devil,  I  don't  know  ;  if 
it  be  the  devil,  the  devil  go  with  them,  for  I  will  never 
more  venture  myself  acnong  them."  He  stood  a 
while  in  that  resolution  ;  but  the  enchantment  of  Stearns's 
voice  drew  him  to  the  crowd  once  more.  He  had  not 
been  long  there  before  the  trembling  seized  him  also  ; 
he  attempted  to  withdraw  ;  but  his  strength  failing,  and 
his  understanding  being  confounded,  he,  with  many  oth- 
ers, sunk  to  the  ground.  When  he  came  to  himself,  he 
found  nothing  in  him  but  dread  and  anxiety,  bordering 
on  horror.  He  continued  in  this  situation  some  days, 
and  then  found  relief  by  faith  in  Christ.  Immediately  he 
began  to  preach  conversion  work,  raw  as  he  was,  and 
scanty  as  his  knowledge  must  have  been."  Mr.  Davis 
was  born  in  Baltimore  county,  Maryland,  1735;  was 
bred  a  Seventh-day  Baptist ;  went  to  Slow  River,  in 
North-Carolina,  in  17.57;  was  baptized  by  Shubael 
Stearns  at  Sandy-Creek,  and  ordained  by  Samuel  Harris, 
in  1764- ;  continued  in  North-Carolina  until  1798,  when 
he  removed  to  South-Carolina,  and  settled  in  the  bounds 
of  the  Saluda  Association. 

Mr.  Stearns  died  November  20,  1771,  at  Sandy-Creek, 
and  was  buried  near  his  meeting-house. 

Edwards, 


Biography  of  Samuel  Slillman.  369 

{The  following  account  of  that  eminent  servant  of  God,  Dr.Stillman,is  prefix- 
ed to  a  volume  of  his  sermons,  published  after  his  death.  The  substance  of 
it  was  written  by  his  son  in  law,  Rev.  Mr.  Gray,  ofRoxbury,  adjoining  Bos- 
ton, aud  a  part  by  Dr.  Baldwin.  The  description  of  his  doctrinal  sentimaiVs 
was  drawn  by  one  of  his  church.] 

SAMUEL  STILLMAN,  t>.D.  was  born  in  the  city  of  Phil- 
adelphia, of  parents  respectable  for  their  virtues,  and  of 
the  religious  persuasion  of  Particular  Baptists.  At  the 
age  of  eleven  years  he  was  removed  with  them  to  Charles- 
ton, South-Carolina,  and  there  received  the  rudiments  of 
his  education,  at  an  academy  under  a  Mr.  Rind,  His  im- 
provements there  were  such  as  presaged  his  future  worth  j 
and  he  gave  early  indications  of  a  minxi  seriously  impress- 
ed with  a  sense  of  religious  truth.  In  one  of  his  manu- 
scripts we  find  some  account  of  very  early  religious 
impressions  being  made  upon  his  mind.  These,  howev- 
er, he  observes,  were  generally  of  short  continuance, 
until  more  effectually  awakened  by  a  sermon  delivered  by 
the  late  excellent  Mr.Hart,  when,  to  borrow  his  own  lan- 
guage, he  says,  "  My  mind  was  again  solemnly  impressed 
with  a  sense  of  my  awful  condition  as  a  sinner.  This 
conviction  grew  stronger  and  stronger.  My  condition 
alarmed  me.  1  saw  myself  without  Christ  and  without 
hope.  I  found  that  I  deserved  the  wrath  to  come,  and 
that  God  would  be  just  to  send  me  to  hell.  I  was  now 
frequently  on  my  knees,  pleading  for  mercy.  As  a  beg- 
gar i  went,  having  nothing  but  guilt,  and  no  plea  but 
mercy."  How  long  he  continued  in  this  distressed  con- 
dition is  not  particularly  stated,  but  it  appears  from  sev- 
eral passages  of  Scripture,  he  obtained  a  degree  of  hope 
and  comfort,  though  not  entirely  satisfied.  Not  long 
after,  he  heard  Mr.  Hart  discourse  from  Matt.  i.  2 1 . 
"  And  she  shall  bring  forth  a  son,  and  thou  shalt  call  his 
name  Jesus  ;  for  he  shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins." 
From  this  sermon  he  received  consolation,  and  adds, 
"  Christ  then  became  precious  to  me,  yea,  all  in  all. 
Then  T  could  say  of  wisdom,  "  Her  ways  are  ways  of 
pleasantness,  and  all  her  paths  are  peace."  That  I  still 
think  was  the  day  of  my  espousal.  Glory  be  to  God, 
for  the  riches  of  his  grace  to  me.  Why  me,  Lord  ?  &c." 
He  was  soon  after  baptized,  and  received  into  the  church 
under  the  pastor:!  care  of  Mr.  Hark 
vol..  2.  47 


37O  Biography  of  Samuel  Siilimav. 

After  finishing  his  classical  education,  he  spent  one 
year  in  the  study  of  divinity  with  that  gentleman.  Being 
called  by  the  church,  he  preached  his  first  sermon  on  the 
17th  of  February,  1758;  and  on  the  26th  of  February, 
1759,  was  ordained  in  the  city  of  Charleston,  South-Car- 
olina, to  the  work  of  an  evangelist. 

Immediately  afterwards,  however,  he  settled  at  James 
Island,  a  most  pleasant  situation  opposite  the  city.  Soon 
after  he  visited  the  place  of  his  nativity,  and  on  the  twen- 
ty-third of  May,  the  same  year,  married  Hannah,  the 
daughter  of  Evin  Morgan,  Esq  merchant  of  that  place, 
by  whom  he  afterwards  had  fourteen  children.  He  also 
took  his  degree  at  the  university  there,  and  returned  to 
his  society  on  James  Island.  But  he  had  not  continued 
above  eighteen  months  with  his  affectionate  and  united 
people,  before  a  violent  attack  of  a  pulmonary  complaint, 
forced  his  removal  to  another  climate.  He  accordingly 
fixed  himself  with  his  family  at  Bordentown,  New- Jersey, 
where  he  supplied  two  different  congregations  for  the 
space  of  two  years.  His  ill  health  somewhat  improved, 
but  by  no  means  restored,  determined  him  at  length  to 
visit  New-England,  'hoping  that  the  exercise,  together 
with  the  change  of  air,  might  yet  further  mend  his  im- 
paired constitution. 

On  his  arrival  here,  1763,  at  the  request  of  the  Second 
Baptist  Church,  he  removed  his  family  to  Boston,  and 
after  preaching  one  year  as  an  assistant  to  the  late  Rev. 
Mr.  Bound,  accepted  an  invitation  to  settle  with  the  First 
Baptist  Church,  and  was  installed  over  it  January  9,  1 765. 

By  nature  he  was  endowed  with  a  sprightly  genius,  a. 
good  capacity,  and  an  uncommon  vivacity  and  quickness 
of  apprehension.  His  feelings  were  peculiarly  strong 
and  lively,  which  imparted  energy  to  whatever  he  did, 
and  under  the  influence  and  control  of  religious  princi- 
ples, served  to  increase  and  diffuse  his  eminent  piety. 
To  this  constitutional  ardour  both  of  sentiment  an  i  ac- 
tion, which  led  him  to  enter  with  his  whole  scul  into 
every  subject  which  engaged  his  attention,  he  united  a 
remarkable  delicacy  of  feeling  and  sense  of  propriety,  and 
such  sprightliness  and  affability  in  conversation,  such  ease 
and  politeness  of  manners,  and  at  the  same  time  such  a 
glow  of  pious  zeal  and  affection,  as  enabled  him  to  min- 


Biography  of  Samuel  Stillman.  371 

gle  with  all  ranks  and  classes  of  people,  and  to  discharge 
all  his  duties  as  a  Christian  minister  and  a  citizen,  with 
dignity,  acceptance,  and  usefulness.  The  lively  interest 
he  appeared  to  take,  in  whatever  affected  the  happiness 
or  increased  the  pleasures  of  his  friends,  the  gentleness  of 
his  reproofs  and  the  gratification  he  seemed  to  feel  in 
commending  others,  united  to  his  social  qualities,  endear- 
ed him  to  all  who  knew  him. 

The  popularity  of  a  preacher  commonly  declines  with 
his  years.  Dr.  Stillman,  however,  was  a  singular  excep- 
tion to  this  general  remark.  He  retained  it  for  upwards 
of  forty-two  years  ;  and  his  congregation,  which,  upon 
his  first  connexion  with  it,  was  the  smallest  in  the  town, 
at  the  age  of  seventy,  the  period  of  his  death,  he  left 
amongst  the  most  numerous. 

As  a  minister  of  Christ,  his  praise  was  in  all  the 
churches ;  and  wherever  his  name  has  been  heard,  an  un- 
common degree  of  sanctity  has  been  connected  with  it. 
His  principles  were  highly  Calvinistick, and  all  his  sermons 
bore  strong  marks  of  his  warm  attachment  to  that  system. 
The  natural  strength  and  ardour  of  his  feelings,  indeed, 
imparted  zeal  to  whatever  opinion  he  espoused,  and  ac- 
tivity to  whatever  duty  he  performed.  Yet  with  all  his 
quickness  of  perception,  and  acuteness  of  feeling,  his 
temper  was  under  admirable  control,  and  he  was  always 
the  thorough  master  both  of  his  w-ords  and  actions.  Thus 
embracing  what  have  been  denominated  the  distinguish- 
ing doctrines  of  the  gospel,  he  explained  and  enforced 
them  with  clearness,  and  with  an  apostolick  zeal  and 
intrepidity. 

On  the  leading  principles  of  the  gospel,  he  always 
preached  and  conversed  as  a  Christian  minister,  who 
took  a  deep  and  hearty  interest  in  their  diffusion  and  es- 
tablishment. But  he  did  not  depend  for  success  on  his 
zeal  and  fidelity.  He  knew  that  what  he  was,  and  what 
he  was  enabled  to  do  in  the  cause  of  God,  were  \vholiy 
by  his  gracious  influence.  Whilst  he  realized  his  own 
entire  dependence,  and  that  of  others,  he  was  animated 
in  duty,  believing  that  the  Lord  meeteth  all  who  rejoice 
and  work  righteousness,  those  who  remember  him  in 
his  ways. 


372  Biography  of  Samuel  Stillman. 

A  subject  on  which  he  often  spoke  with  grateful  ado- 
ration was,  the  true  and  proper  Godhead  of  the  Lord  Je- 
sus Christ.  His  views  of  sin  as  an  infinite  evil  necessarily 
impressed  upon  his  mind  this  truth.  He  considered  the 
Saviour  as  an  infinitely  worthy  object  of  divine  worship, 
and  in  consequence  of  this  dignity  of  character  qualified 
to  make  atonement  for  sin.  On  this  foundation  rested 
his  hope  of  salvation  ;  and  if  this  were  not  a  reality,  he 
despaired  of  entering  into  glory,  and  believed  the  salva- 
tion of  every  sinner  an  impossible  event.  But  having  no 
doubt  on  this  cardinal  point,  he  was  enabled  to  preach 
the  gospel  with  clearness. 

On  the  subject  of  the  trinity  and  unity  of  God,  he  lit- 
erally believed  the  declaration  of  John,  "  There  are  three 
that  bear  record  in  heaven,  the  Father,  the  Word,  and 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  these  three  are  one  ;"  but  as  to  an 
explanation  of  the  manner  or  mode  of  subsistence  of  the 
divine  nature,  he  would  say  he  had  nothing  to  do  ;  for 
revelation  did  not  explain  it.  He  only  declared  it  as  a 
truth  to  be  believed  on  the  divine  testimony. 

The  total  moral  depravity  of  man  was  a  principle  on 
which  he  much  insisted  on  all  proper  occasions.  He 
had  no  idea  that  there  was  any  latent  spark  of  holi- 
ness in  the  heart  of  a  natural  man,  which,  as  some  sup- 
pose, can  be  kindled  by  the  exertions  of  the  sinner,  and 
kept  alive  by  the  same  means.  This  opinion  he  repro- 
bated with  all  his  heart,  viewing  it  as  a  denial  of  that 
grace  which  is  revealed  in  the  gospel, and  as  having  a  natu- 
ral tendency  to  take  the  crown  of  glory  from  the  head  of 
IMMANQEL.  In  contradiction  of  this  error,  he  would  of- 
ten remark  on  this  text  as  a  motto  congenial  to  -the  feel- 
ings of  a  believer,  "  Upon  himself  (Jesus)  shall  his  crown 
flourish."  So  far  was  he  removed  from  this  mistake, 
that  he  believed  the  real  Christian,  though  renewed  by 
the  Holy  Spirit,  was  constantly  dependent  on  God's  im- 
mediate agency  for  the  origin  and  continuance  of  every 
gracious  exercise.  Although  he  believed  the  entire  sin- 
fulness  of  the  natural  heart,  he  did  not  erroneously  con- 
nect with  it  a  license  to  sin,  nor  suppose  that  men  are  re- 
leased from  moral  duties  because  they  are  indisposed  to 
them.  From  the  fact  that  man  is  endowed  with  reason, 
will  and  affections,  he  argued  his  moral  obligation  to  be- 


Biography  of  Samuel  Stillman.  373 

lieve  what  God  has  revealed,  and  obey  what  he  has 
commanded. 

As  his  views  of  man's  depravity  were  clear  and  dis- 
tinct, he  of  consequence  saw  the  necessity  of  regenera- 
tion by  the  free  and  sovereign  agency  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
That  operation  of  God  by  which  this  change  is  effected, 
he  did  not  consider  as  a  mere  circumstantial  alteration 
or  new  modification  of  the  sinful  affections,  but  that  a 
new  disposition  was  given  to  the  soul,  well  described  by 
Paul  as  a  new  creation.  In  this  change  he  supposed  the 
person  was  brought  to  have  entirely  new  views  of  moral 
subjects. 

Respecting  the  atonement  of  Christ,  his  sentiments 
were  honorary  to  truth.  He  considered  it  as  an  illustra- 
tion of  the  divine  perfections  not  discoverable  by  any 
other  medium  ;  exhibiting  to  all  intelligent  beings  the 
odious  nature  of  sin,  God's  love  to  holiness,  and  his  un- 
speakable mercy  to  the  guilty.  He  viewed  the  merits 
of  Christ  in  his  obedience  and  death,  as  having  an  infi- 
nite value,  and  as  possessing  a  sufficiency  for  the  salva- 
tion of  every  individual  of  the  human  race,  had  it  been 
the  will  of  God  to  make  its  application  to  the  conscience 
so  extensive  ;  but  from  divine  revelation  he  learned  that 
its  design  was  particular,  respecting,  in  its  application  to 
the  heart,  the  elect  only.  He  did  not,  however,  connect 
with  this  the  erroneous  idea  of  some,  that  all  men  were 
not  under  obligation  to  repent  of  their  sins  and  believe 
the  gospel ;  but  whilst  he  believed  the  condemnation  of 
sinners  was  by  the  moral  law,  he  supposed  that  this  con- 
demnation would  be  greatly  aggravated  by  a  rejection  of 
the  gospel,  and  that  they  would  be  treated  as  those  who 
despised  God's  grace. 

His  ideas  of  the  faith  which  accompanies  salvation  were, 
that  it  was  a  belief  of  the  gospel  ;  a  hearty  reception  of 
that  plan  of  grace  which  is  revealed  in  Christ  Jesus,  ac- 
companied with  holy  love  and  every  gracious  exercise. 
He  rejected  the  error,  that  the  essence  of  faith  consists 
in  a  person's  believing  that  Christ  died  for  him  in  par- 
ticular ;  no  such  proposition  being  contained  in  the  word 
of  God,  and  no  one  being  warranted  to  believe  this  till 
he  has  good  evidence  of  his  regeneration.  From  his 
ideas  of  faith  he  naturally  inferred  that  good  works  would 


374  Biography  of  Samuel  Stillman. 

uniformily  follow.  These  he  zealously  enforced  ?.s  an 
evidence  of  faith,  but  not  as  designed  to  originate  if. 
Practical  godliness  was  a  subject  on  which  he  often 
preached,  and  which  he  urged  on  believers  from  the 
noblest  gospel  motives. 

The  purpose  of  God  in  his  eternal  election  of  a  certain 
number  of  the  human  race  to  salvation,  was  a  principle 
dear  to  Dr.  Stillman,  as  a  truth  clearly  revealed.  Be- 
lieving the  carnal  mind,  or  natural  heart,  to  be  enmity 
against  God,  he  very  justly  concluded,  that  if  any  sin- 
ners were  saved,  their  salvation  must  be  effected  by  an 
influence  extraneous  from  themselves.  To  imagine 
with  some,  that  God  had  left  it  with  depraved  men  to 
meet  him  in  any  conditions  which  they  were  to  perform, 
he  would  represent  as  dishonorary  to  the  Divine  Majesty, 
who  will  not  give  his  glory  to  another.  Neither  could 
he  believe  that  any  of  God's  designs  originated  in  time ; 
but  that  all  his  purposes  were,  like  himself,  eternal.  This 
was  his  ground  of  encouragement  to  preach,  knowing 
that  God  had  determined  by  the  foolishness  of  preaching 
to  save  them  that  believe,  and  that  he  had  promised  to 
make  a  willing  people  in  the  day  of  his  power. 

From  his  clear  apprehension  of  eternal  personal  elec- 
tion, he  was  firmly  established  in  the  final  perseverance 
to  eternal  glory  of  all  those  who  are  regenerated  by  the 
Spirit  of  God  ;  and  that  the  grace  given  is  an  incorrupti- 
ble seed. 

The  opinion  that  religious  establishments  are  contrary 
to  the  New-Testament,  was  defended  by  him.  His  ideas 
on  this  subject  are  plainly  expressed  in  his  sermon  before 
the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts,  in  1779.  The  in- 
terference of  rulers,  as  such,  in  matters  of  conscience,  he 
ever  considered  as  an  infringement  of  natural  right.  In 
this  sermon  he  shewed  that  his  own  ideas  on  this  subject 
were  similar  to  those  of  the  immortal  Locke.  He  was  a 
cordial  friend  to  religious  liberty  ;  and  all  his  conduct 
in  life  towards  Christians  from  whom  he  differed,  mani- 
fested that  he  was  heartily  willing  that  every  conscien- 
tious citizen  should  worship  in  the  manner  which  agreed 
with  the  dictates  of  his  conscience,  after  a  candid  exam- 
ination of  the  word  of  God. 


Biogr.aphy  cf  Samuel  Stiilman.  375 

He  preached  much  to  the  feelings,  and  to  the  heart ; 
and  numbers  on  whose  minds  naked  reason  and  simple 
truth  could  produce  no  serious  effects,  his  powerful  elo- 
quence was  a  happy  means  both  of  touching  and  reclaim- 
ing. Nor  was  he  only  a  preacher  of  righteousness.  Few 
men  ever  exemplified  more  than  he  did,  the  virtues  he 
recommended  to  others.  Whilst  he  exhibited  to  his 
flock  the  various  trials  and  comforts  of  Christians,  whilst 
he  guided  them  in  the  way  to  eternal  life,  he  led  them 
also  by  his  own  example. 

His  sermons  were  always  studied,  and  it  was  his  judi- 
cious practice  principally  to  write  them.  Yet  from  his 
manner  of  delivery,  (a  manner  peculiar  to  himself)  he 
always  appeared  as  easy  as  if  speaking  extempore.  In- 
deed it  was  his  constant  method  to  add  at  the  moment 
such  thoughts  as  occurred  to  his  mind  whilst  speaking. 
These  thoughts  were  as  naturally  connected  with  the 
subject  as  though  they  had  been  a  studied  part  of  it  ; 
and  as  they  were  usually  delivered  with  much  pathos, 
they  had  the  happiest  effect  upon  the  audience. 

As  a  publick  speaker,  as  a  pulpit  orator,  he  was  second 
perbaps  to  none.  Nature  had  furnished  him  with  a 
pleasant  and  most  commanding  voice,  the  very  tones  of 
which  were  admirably  adapted  to  awaken  the  feelings  of 
an  audience,  and  he  always  managed  it  with  great  suc- 
cess. 115s  manner,  though  grave  and  serious,  \vas  pecu- 
liarly graceful,  popular,  and  engaging.  His  remarkable 
animation  gave  additional  interest  to  every  subject  he 
handled.  Those  who  heard  him  might  with  propriety 
have  said  of  him  what  was  s,aid  of  another  eminent 
preacher — "  This  man  is  in  earnest ;  he  believes  what  he 
says,  and  says  what  he  believes.  Verily  this  is  a  man  of 
God.  Ten  such  men,  and  Sodom  would  have  stood." 

His  eloquence  was  of  the  powerful  and  impressive, 
rather  than  of  the  insinuating  and  persuasive  kind,  and 
so  strikingly  interesting,  that  he  never  preached  to  an 
inattentive  audience.  And  even  those  who  dissented 
from  him  in  some  minor  theological  opinions,  were  stiil 
pleased  with  hearing  him,  for  they  knew  his  sincerity, 
they  knew  him  to  be  a  good  man. 

Few  persons  are  alike  eminent  in  all  the  different  du- 
ties of  the  ministerial  office ;  but  it  would  perhaps  be 


376  Biography  of  Samuel  Stillman, 

difficult  to  say  in  which  of  these  Dr.  Stillman  most  ex- 
celled. 

In  prayer  he  always  seemed  to  his  audience  as  if  en- 
gaged with  a  present  Deity,  His  addresses  to  Heaven 
were  generally  short,  but  very  comprehensive  ;  they 
were  solemn  a,nd  edifying,  and  usually  very  feeling  and 
impressive  ;  and  thus  coming  from  the  heart,  they  sel- 
dom failed  to  reach  the  hearts  of  others. 

In  the  chamber  of  sickness  and  affliction  he  was  always 
a  welcome  visitor.  So  well  could  he  adapt  his  conversa- 
tion, as  to  comfort  or  to  caution,  to  soothe  or  to  awaken, 
just  as  the  case  seemed  to  require.  And  if  he  adminis- 
tered reproof,  it  was  done  in  so  delicate  and  mild  a  man- 
ner, that  it  oftener  conciliated  esteem,  than  created  of- 
fence. In  his  prayers  with  the  sick  and  afflicted,  howev- 
er intricate  the  occasion,  he  was  always  both  appropriate 
and  highly  devotional.  So  eminent  was  his  character  for 
piety,  and  so  universally  was  he  beloved,  that  he  was  of- 
ten called  to  the  sick  and  afflicted  of  other  denominations. 
And  his  sympathetick  feelings,  and  his  fervent  supplica- 
tions seldom  failed  to  pour  the  balm  of  consolation  into 
the  wounded  bosom.  The  sick  would  almost  forget  their 
pains,  and  the  mourner  cease  to  sigh.  How  many  wound- 
ed hearts  he  has  bound  up,  and  from  how  many  weeping 
eyes  he  has  wiped  the  tears  away — how  many  thought- 
less sinners  he  was  the  means  of  awakening,  and  how 
many  saints  he  has  edilied  and  built  up  unto  eternal  life 
— how  many  wavering  minds  he  has  settled,  and  to  how- 
many  repenting  sinners  his  words  have  administered 
peace,  can  be  fully  known  only  at  the  great  day ! 

It  havingpleased  the  Author  of  Wisdom  to  visit  Dr.  Still, 
man  with  peculiar  trials,  and  having  largely  experienced 
the  supporting  influence  of  religion  under  them,  he  was 
eminently  qualified  to  administer  consolation  to  others. 
Few  persons  could  describe  with  such  accuracy,  or  enter 
with  such  facility  into  the  feelings  and  exercises  of  the 
tempted,  tried  believer.  Like  a  skilful  surgeon,  he  knew 
when  the  wound  was  sufficiently  probed,  and  when  to 
apply  the  healing  balm  of  promise. 

In  the  course  of  a  few  years  he  was  called  to  bury  sev- 
en of  his  children,  all  adults,  and  some  of  them  with  ris- 
ing families,  having  previously  buried  five  children  in  in- 


Biography  of  Samuel  Stillman.  377 

francy.  But  notwithstanding  his  domestick  trials  were  so 
great,  his  Christian  patience  and  submission  were  equal 
to  them  all.  Such  was  his  perfect  confidence  in  the  wis- 
dom of  God's  government,  that  with  all  his  extreme  sen- 
sibilities, his  mind  lost  nothing  of  its  lively  confidence, 
or  of  its  cheerful  hope. 

Dr.  Stillman  was  possessed  of  great  benevolence  of 
heart, and  was  a  sincere  lover  of  persons  of  every  Christian 
denomination,  whom  he  esteemed  pious  and  good. 
Though  from  education  and  from  principle  a  Baptist 
himself,  he  never  believed  that  the  peculiarities  of  any 
sect  ought  to  form  a  separating  line,  or  hinder  the  union 
of  good  men,  for  the  advancement  of  the  common  cause 
of  the  Redeemer.  With  many  such  he  long  lived  in 
habits  of  undissembled  friendship,  and  by  them  his  death 
will  not  very  soon  cease  to  be  regretted. 

With  a  view  more  especially  to  assist  young  men  in 
attaining  a  suitable  education  for  the  ministry,  he  suc- 
cessfully employed  his  talents  and  zeal  in  aiding  the  inter- 
ests of  Brown  University,  Rhode-Island,  which  owes 
much  to  his  exertions. 

It  might  be  mentioned  as  a  proof  of  the  high  estima- 
tion in  which  his  talents  were  held  as  a  preacher,  that 
there  is  scarcely  any  publick  occasion  on  which  he  has 
not  at  one  time  or  another  officiated.  The  university  of 
Cambridge  conferred  on  him  the  honorary  degree  of 
Master  of  Arts,  in  1761.  The  college  in  Rhode-Island, 
of  which  he  was  both  a  Trustee  and  a  Fellow,  in  1788 
gave  him  a  diploma  of  Doctor  in  Divinity.  Ke  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Federal  Convention  for  the  town 
of  Boston  the  same  year,  and  distinguished  himself  there 
by  a  most  eloquent  speech  in  its  defence.  In  17S9  he 
was  appointed  to  deliver  the  anniversary  oration  on  inde- 
pendence to  the  town  of  Boston,  which  he  accomplished 
in  a  manner  both  handsome  and  acceptable. 

The  social  feelings  of  the  Doctor  were  strong,  and  his 
powers  of  conversation  such  as  always  pleased.  In  his 
manners  there  was  an  unaffected  elegance  and  ease,  which 
rendered  him  uncommonly  agreeable  to  every  circle. 
The  affability  and  kindness  with  which  he  treated  per- 
sons of  every  description,  were  not  less  the  effect  of  a 
natural  delicacy  than  of  a  general  knowledge  of  mankind. 

VOL.  2.  4?J 


378  Biography  of  Samuel  Still  man. 

Henre  to  the  great  he  never  could  appear  servile,  nor 
imperious  to  those  in  humbler  stations.  To  both  he  was 
the  gentleman,  and  in  private  company  as  much  esteem- 
ed as  he  was  popular  in  his  publick  performances.  His 
benevolent  heart  was  feelingly  alive  to  distress  of  every 
kind,  and  in  contributing  to  its  alleviation  in  every  shape 
he  was  actively  useful.  We  find  his  name  amongst  the 
first  members  of  the  Humane  Society  of  this  Common- 
wealt'u.  Of  the  Massachusetts  Charitable  Fire  Society 
he  was  a  useful  officer,  and  of  the  Boston  Dispensary  a 
member  from  its  beginning,  and  President  at  his  death. 
The  Boston  Female  Asylum  is  likewise  much  indebted  to 
his  exertions.  He  was  also  an  almoner  of  the  private 
charity  of  many  individuals,  who  confided  in  his  knowl- 
edge and  judgment  of  suitable  objects. 

Such  \vas  the  faithfulness  with  which  he  discharged  the 
various  duties  incumbent  on  him  as  a  minister  of  the 
gospel ;  such  was  his  zeal  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the 
good  of  souls,  that  it  may  be  truly  said  of  him,  he  was 
the  happy  man.  Holy,  spiritual  religion  was  not  with 
him  a  transient,  visionary  thing,  but  the  element  in  which 
he  breathed.  Bis  soul  was  often  so  enlarged  in  declaring 
the  glorious  gospel,  and  in  expatiating  on  the  riches  of 
God's  grace  as  manifested  in  his  word,  that  he  not  only 
seemed  himself  to  enjoy  a  prelibation  of  heaven,  but  to 
have  been  enabled  by  divine  influence  to  communicate 
this  blessedness  to  others  ;  so  that  his  friends  have  often 
said,  after  having  heard  his  private  conversation  or  pub- 
lick  preaching, Truly  cur  fellowship  was  with  the  Father, 
with  his  Son  Christ  Jesus,  and  with  one  another  through 
the  Spirit's  influence. 

To  his  church  and  people  he  was  strongly  attached, 
and  particularly  attentive.*  Nor  did  he  ever  suffer  any 

*  For  a  long  time  previous  to  his  death,  lie  w.is  particularly  anxious  that  a 
coflrague  pastor  should  be  settled  \vith  him.  Knowing  that  time  with  him  was 
shfvt,  lie  Lir.jLu:;}'  wished  to  see  his  church  and  congregation  happily  united  in 
a.  person,  whose  sentiments  and  character  he  should  entirely  approve,  and  to 
whose  c-ire  he  could  cheerfully  confide  his  charge,  when  lie  should  be  called  to 
put  on  the  earthly  house  <.*.i  his  tu'iernacle.  To  effect  tins  object,  in  his  view  so 
important,  his  labours  were  incessant ;  and  Providence  seemed  to  smile  on  hir> 
endeavours.  The  Rev.  JOSKPH  CLAY,  from  Gerr^ia,  having  visited  the  tovm 
of  Boston,  appeared,  botry  to  the  pastor  and  the  flock,  to  be  the  very  object  of 
their  united  wishes.  Proposals  having  been  accordingly  made  to  him  for  set- 
tlement, which  he  accepted,  necessary  arrangements  were  making  for  it.  The 
Doctor  was  delighting  himself  with  the  prospect ;  but  it  please<l  Heaven  that 


Biography  of  Samuel  Still  man.  370 

calls  of  relaxation  or  amusement  to  interfere  with  the 
conscientious  discharge  of  the  smallest  professional  duty. 
His  duty  was  indeed  always  his  delight,  and  nothing  in 
his  mind  ever  stood  in  any  sort  of  competition  with  it. 

His  congregation  always  reciprocated  his  warm  attach- 
ment to  them.  They  ever  sat  delighted  under  his  preach- 
ing, and  felt  a  pride  in  him  as  an  accomplished  pulpit 
orator,  no  less  than  a  love  for  him  as  an  excellent  preach- 
er ;  and  neither  of  them  were  any  ways  diminished  by 
the  attention  of  strangers  who  visited  the  metropolis, 
and  were  commonly  desirous  of  hearing  this  celebrated 
minister  before  they  left  it. 

In  the  different  walks  of  social  and  private  life,  Dr. 
Stillman  was  peculiarly  amiable.  Those  most  intimately 
connected  with  him,  ever  found  him  a  pleasant  compan- 
ion, a  judicious  counsellor,  and  a  faithful  friend.  The 
various  offices  of  domestick  life  were  discharged  with  the 
same  fidelity  and  tenderness  which  marked  his  publick 
conduct.  Of  husbands,  he  was  one  of  the  most  kind 
and  affectionate  ;  of  parents  the  most  tender  and  endear- 
ing. Indeed,  all  who  resided  under  his  roof  experienced 
his  paternal  care  and  goodness. 

Through  life  his  habit  of  body  had  been  weakly,  and 
he  was  not  unused  to  occasional  interruptions  of  his  min- 
isterial labours ;  yet  he  survived  all  his  clerical  cotempo- 
raries,  both  in  Boston  and  its  vicinity.  It  was  his  con- 
stant prayer  that  his  life  and  usefulness  might  run  paral- 
lel :  in  this  his  desires  were  gratified.  He  had  now  at- 
tained the  age  of  seventy,  when  the  time  of  his  departure 
had  arrived.  A  slight  indisposition  detained  him  at 
home  the  two  last  Lord's  days  of  his  life.  On  the  Wed- 
nesday following  the  second  of  them,  without  any  pre- 
vious symptoms,  he  was  suddenly  attacked  at  eleven 
o'clock,  A.  M.  by  a  paralytick  shock.  At  ten  at  night  he 
grew  insensible,  and  at  twelve  his  useful  life  and  labours 
were  terminated  together.  Could  he  have  selected  the 
manner  of  his  death,  it  had  probably  been  such  an  one 
as  this,  which  spared  him  the  pain  of  separation  from  a 

he  should  not  be  permitted  to  realize  its  accomplishment  Mr.  Clay  had  re- 
turned to  the  southward,  to  settle  his  affairs  there.  Two  or  more  mouths  before 
his  return,  the  period  he  hud  fixed  for  it,  the  melancholy  circumstance  ot  Dr. 
Stillmaa's  death  occurred.  The  following  Augvtst  Mr.  Clay's  i;utallatit-» 
took  place. 


580  Biography  of  Samuel  Stillman. 

flock  he  was  most  ardently  attached  to,  and  a  family  he 
most  tenderly  loved  ;  a  scene  which,  to  a  person  of  his 
feeling  mind,  notwithstanding  all  his  religion,  must  have 
occasioned  a  shock. 

In  one  of  his  sermons,  preached  after  the  death  of  the 
late  Dr.  Peter  Thacher,  of  this  town,  he  says,  "  Though 
we  would  not  wish  to  choose,  or  offer  to  dictate  to  Infi- 
nite Wisdom,  as  to  the  manner  of  our  exit,  yet  may  we 
be  permitted  to  say,  that  when  good  men  are  suddenly 
cut  down,  they  avoid  the  pains  and  extreme  distresses 
that  always  accompany  a  lingering  sickness.  And  though 
we  would  not  pray,  From  sudden  death,  good  Lord,  deliv- 
er us,  we  would  devoutly  pray,  For  sudden  death,  good 
Lord,  prepare  us." 

On  the  Monday  following  his  death,  his  remains  were 
attended  to  his  meeting-house,  where  a  pathetick  and 
appropriate  discourse  was  delivered  on  the  occasion,  by 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Baldwin,  pastor  of  the  Second  Baptist 
Church  in  Boston,  to  an  immensely  thronged  and  deep- 
ly  affected  assembly,  from  2  Tim.  iv.  7,  8  ;  after  which 
his  remains  were  conveyed  to  the  tomb,  amidst  the  re- 
grets of  a  numerous  concourse  of  people,  who  crowded 
around  his  bier,  anxious  to  take  a  last  look  of  the  urn 
which  contained  the  relicks  of  him,  who  once  to  them 
was  so  dear,  but  whose  face  they  should  now  behold  no 
more. 

Dr.  Stillman  was  of  the  middling  stature,  of  slender 
habit  of  body,  yet  remarkably  upright.  He  was  dark 
complcxioned,and  rather  pale.  His  countenance,  though 
naturally  open  and  cheerful,  yet  either  from  principle 
01  habit  more  frequently  presented  the  appearance  of 
thoughtiuiness  and  solemnity.  The  vivacity  of  his  mind 
was  strongly  marked  in  the  features  of  his  face,  which 
enanied  him  with  uncommon  ease  to  give  language  to 
the  passions  whenever  his  subject  required  it. 

The  gracefulness  of  his  person,  the  elegance  of  his  man- 
ners, and  above  all,  the  dignity  of  his  whole  deportment 
were  such,  as  could  not  fail  of  interesting  the  feelings  of 
all  who  had  the  happiness  of  an  acquaintance  with  him. 
In  a  word,  there  was  something  peculiarly  prepossessing 
in  that  angelick  solemnity,  which  he  always  manifested^ 
when  engaged  in  religious  duties. 


Biography  of  Samuel  Stillman.  381 

Dr.  Stillman's  works,  except  one  Oration,  consist  al- 
together of  Sermons,  and  are  as  follow  : 

1st.    A  Sermon  on  the  repeal  of  the  Stamp  Act,  1766. 

2d.  A  Sermon  on  the  character  of  a  good  soldier:  delivered  before  the 
Ancient  and  Honourable  Artillery  Company  in  Boston,  June  4,  J770. 

3d.  Substance  of  a  Sermon ,  delivered  at  the  ordination  of  Rev.  Samuel 
Shepard,  in  Stratham,  (N.  H.)  Sept,  25,  1771. 

4th.  A  Sermon  on  the  death  of  Hon.  Samuel  Ward,  Esq.  meml^er  of  the 
Continental  Congress,  from  Rhode-Island,  and  delivered  betore  that  body  in 
Philadelphia,  March  26,  177& 

6th.    A  Sermon  on  the  General  Election  in  Massachusetts,  May  26, 1779. 

6th.  A  Sermon  on  Charity,  preached  before  the  Most  Ancient  and  Honour- 
able Society  of  Free  arid  Accepted  Masons,  in  Charlestown,  June  24,  1785. 

7th.  An  Oration  delivei'ed  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  of  Boston,  July  4, 
1739. 

8th.  A  Sermon  on  the  «Ieath  of  Nicholas  Brown,  Esq.  of  Providence,  (R.  I.) 
May  3i,  1791. 

9th.  A  Sermon  on  the  French  Revolution,  preached  on  the  Annual  Thanks- 
giving Day,  Nov.  20,  1794. 

10th.  A  Sermon  on  the  ordination  of  Rev.  Stephen  Smith  Nelson,  preached 
in  Boston,  Sept.  15,  1797. 

llth.    A  Sermon  on  the  National  Fast  Day,  April,  1799. 

12th.  A  Sermon  on  the  death  of  George  Washington,  late  President  of  the 
United  States  of  America,  1800. 

13th.  A  Sermon  on  the  opening  of  the  New  Baptist  Meeting-House  in 
Charlestown,  May  12,  1801. 

14th.  A  Sermon  on  the  ordination  of  Rev.  Thomas  Waterman,  Charles- 
town,  October  7,  1801. 

1  Jth.  A  Sermon  on  the  first  anniversary  of  the  Boston  Female  Asylum, 
September  5,  180?. 

16th.  A  Sermon  on  the  first  anniversary  of  the  Massachusetts  Baptist 
Missionary  Society,  May  25, 1803. 

17th.  A  Sermon  on  the  death,  and  preached  at  the  fnr.cral  of  Hezekiah 
Smith,  u.  D.  of  Haverhill,  January  31,  1805. 

Besides  these,  soon  after  Dr.  Stillman's  death,  his 
friends  collected  and  published  in  a  volume  twenty  ser- 
mons of  his  composing,  eight  of  which  were  never  be- 
fore  published.  The  titles  of  these  sermons,  in  the  order 
in  which  they  stand  in  the  volume,  are  as  follow : 

1st.  Mankind  universally  apt  to  trust  in  their  own  righteousness.  PubJish- 
ed  by  desire  of  the  hearers,  1769. 

2d.    The  Sinner's  best  Righteousness  proved  to  be  essentially  deficient 

3d.    Imputed  Righteousness  one  of  the  Glories  of  the  Gospel. 

4th.    Believers  exhorted  to  continue  in  their  obedience. 

5th.  Young  People  called  upon  to  consider,  that  for  their  conduct  here 
they  must  lie  accountable  hereafter,  at  the  Judgment-Seat  of  Christ.  Deliv- 
ered at  an  Evening  Lecture,  May  8,  1771,  at  the  desire  of  a  number  of  young 
men,  and  published  by  request 

Sermons  6,  7,  and  8  are  on  Apostolick  Preaching-    Delivered  Nov.  1790. 

9.  God's  Compassion  to  the  Miserable.    Preached  at  the  desire  of  Levi 
Ames,  who  attended  on  the  occasion,  and  who  was  executed  tor  burglary  Oct. 
yi,  1773,  aged  22. 

10.  The  character  of  a  foolish  Son.  Preached  the  Lord's  Day  after  the  exe- 
cution of  Levi  Ames. 

11.  Hope  the  Anchor  of  the  Soul.    Delivered  Nov.  13, 1791. 

12.  God's  Designs  vainly  opposed  by  sinners.    Delivered  at  the  quarterly 
day  of  prayer,  June  4,  1803. 


382  Biography  of  Gardner  T hunt  on. 

13.  The  Blessedness  of  those  who  die  in  the  Lord.    Delivered  April  17, 
1768,  occasioned  by  the  death  of  the  Author's  Mother,  Mrs.  Mary  Stillman, 
who  died  March  17,  1768,  in  Charleston,  (S.  C.)  aged  57. 

14.  The  Resurrection  and  Change  of  the  viie  Body.    Delivered  Nov.  SO, 
1806. 

15.  The  Nature  and  Uses  of  Prayer.    Delivered  April  7,  1801,  being  the 
quarterly  day  of  prayer. 

16.  The  Gospel  Ministry.    Delivered  in  Salem,  at  the  ordination  of  the 
Rev.  Lucius  Bolles,  Jan.  9,  1805. 

17.  The  Sinking  Soul  saved  by  Grace.    Preached  March  18,  1804 

18.  The  Nature  and  Design  of  the  Atonement.    Preached  Feb.  1,  1807. 

19.  The  Water  of  Life.    Preached  March  9,  1806. 

20.  The  last  words  of  Christ  to  his  disciples.    Delivered  Feb.  22,  1807, 
being  the  last  sermon  which  Dr.  Stillman  preached. 


GARDNER  THURSTON  was  the  son  of  Edward  and 
Elizabeth  Thurston,  and  was  born  in  Newport,  Rhode- 
Island,  Nov.  14,  1721.  When  he  was  but  a  small  lad, 
some  of  his  relatives  in  the  country  obtained  him  to  tar- 
ry with  them  for  a  season,  where  the  aged  and  religious 
were  highly  pleased  to  learn,  that  their  little  visitant  had 
such  a  taste  for  devotion,  that  he  was  known  to  exhort 
his  young  associates  to  remember  their  Creator,  and  im- 
plore his  aid  whenever  they  formed  any  plan  for  enjoy- 
ment, and  wished  to  be  successful.  To  press  his  exhor- 
tation powerfully  upon  their  hearts,  and  satisfy  his  own 
conscience,  he  was  seen  in  their  little  circles  praying  to 
God.  The  pious  kept  these  things  in  their  minds,  be- 
lieving it  highly  probable,  that  Infinite  Wisdom  had  de- 
signed him  to  be  an  instrument  of  great  good  among 
mankind. 

After  he  returned  to  Newport,  and  had  been  some 
time  under  the  ministry  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Whitman,  and 
his  colleague,  Rev.  Nicholas  Eyers,  he  wrote  them  the 
following  letter : 

"  Dearly  beloved  Fathers  in  Christ, 

"  Through  the  wonderful  mercy  of  God,  I  am  brought  to  see  myself  in  a  lost 
condition,  and  his  word  and  my  conscience  testify,  that  in  such  a  state  of  na- 
ture, I  am  a  child  of  wrath. 

"  Sirs,  I  consider  that  the  gospel  requires  a  positive  change  in  all  who  will 
be  admitted  into  the  kingdom  of  God ;  and  that  this  change  is  new  forming 
the  heart,  and  subjecting  the  whole  man  to  the  service  of  Christ :  that  he  may 
be  translated  out  of  the  kingdom  of  darkness  into  the  kingdom  of  God's  ciear 
Son  Knowing  my  own  weakness  and  inability  to  deliver  myself,  I  find  that  I 
cannot  do  any  thing  pleasing  to  God  of  myself ;  I  cannot  come  to  that  true  and 
saving  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  with  winch  remission  of  sins  is  connected  ;  neither 
c:  n  I  make  satisfaction  for  the  least  of  my  transgressions:  therefore,  O  Sirs,  I 
de-sire  to  depend  wholly  and  alone  upon  the  free  grace  of  God  in  Jessus  Christ, 
for  wisdom,  righteousness,  ftanctih" cation,  and  redemption,"  Sec. 


Biography  of  Gardner  Thurston.  383 

Soon  after  he  wrote  to  these  ministers,  who  were  over 
him  in  the  Lord,  he  obtained  peace  in  believing,  and  joy 
in  the  Holy  Ghost ;  but  did  not  make  a  publick  profes- 
sion of  his  faith  in  God,  till  April  4,  1741 .  When  this 
day  came,  his  mind  was  covered  with  darkness,  and  filled 
with  distressing  fears,  that  he  rested  short  of  the  Rock 
of  Ages  as  the  foundation  of  his  hope  ;  and  that  he 
should  inevitably  be  a  hypocrite  if  he  joined  the  church. 
In  this  trying  period  of  his  life,  he  endeavoured  to  make 
God  his  refuge,  and  prayed  for  the  light  of  his  counte- 
nance, that  he  might  be  led  understandingly  to  know  and 
to  do  his  will.  The  time  arrived  in  which  he  was  to  be 
examined  as  a  candidate  for  baptism.  But  his  fears  con- 
cerning himself  still  continued,  and  multiplied  to  such  an 
host  against  him,  that  when  he  came  to  the  meeting- 
house door,  he  dared  not  enter,  but  turned  and  walked 
into  a  small  burying-ground,  and  sat  down  upon  a  rock. 
The  place,  by  the  kind  hand  of  God  upon  him,  was 
made  like  the  resting-place  which  Jacob  found,  as  he 
journeyed  from  Beersheba  to  Padanaram.  About  sixty 
years  afterward,  walking  in  the  same  burying-ground, 
Mr. Thurston  stopped,  and  putting  his  staft'upon  the  rock,, 
said,  "There  I  sat  down,  overwhelmed  with  distress, 
while  the  church  were  waiting  for  me  to  come  in,  to 
give  them  an  account  of  the  dealings  of  God  with  my 
soul.  Soon  after  I  sat  down,  I  was  enabled,  through 
rich  grace,  to  give  up  myself,  and  all  I  had,  into  the 
hands  of  my  blessed  Jesus,  who  immediately  dispelled, 
the  darkness  which  covered  me,  removed  my  distress, 
filled  me  with  peace  and  consolation,  and  gave  me 
strength  to  declare  what  he  had  done  for  my  soul." 

He  was  received  by  the  church,  and  baptized  by  their 
pastor,  the  Rev,  Nicholas  Eyers,  and  enjoyed  great  peace 
of  mind,  and  establishment  in  the  doctrine  of  Christ. 

He  was  highly  esteemed  in  the  church  as  a  pious  and 
promising  youth,  and  took  an  active  part  in  their  con- 
ference meetings,  till  God  was  pleased  to  call  him  to  de- 
clare more  publickly  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation. 

The  church  were  so  well  satisfied  with  his  account  of 
the  operations  of  the  divine  Spirit  upon  his  mind,  and  his 
leading  views  of  the  great  truths  of  the  Christian  system,, 
that  after  hearing  him  a  number  of  times,  they  gave  him 


384  Biography  of  Gardner  Thurston* 

approbation  to  preach  in  1748,  and  requested  him  to  be 
an  assistant  to  their  pastor,  Rev.  Nicholas  Eyers. 

He  from  this  time  preached  generally  once  on  the 
Lord's-day  and  one  lecture  every  week.  His  desire  for 
information,  especially  in  divinity,  was  great,  which  he 
had  an  opportunity  to  gratify  above  many ;  for  Mr. 
Eyers,  with  whom  he  was  most  intimately  connected, 
was  a  man  of  talents  and  learning. 

Mr.  Eyers  died  suddenly,  February  1.5,.  17-59,  having 
preached  part  of  the  Lord's  day  before  ;  and  Mr.  Thurs- 
ton  was,  by  the  church,  invited  to  succeed  him,  and  was 
accordingly  ordained  to  the  pastoral  office  on  the  29th 
of  April  following. 

As  he  was  born  and  educated  with  the  people  whom 
he  had  now  engaged  to  serve,  he  was  not  ignorant  of 
their  expectations  from  him  as  their  pastor.  He  there- 
fore determined  to  give  himself  wholly  to  the  all-impor- 
tant work  of  preaching  the  glorious  gospel  of  Christ, 
and  to  finish  his  course  with  joy.  Consequently  he  left 
his  former  business,  which  was  lucrative,  closed  his  ac- 
counts, and  entered  into  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord  with 
all  his  heart ;  pleading  the  sweet  promise  which  flowed 
from  the  Saviour's  lips  ;  "  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alvvay, 
even  to  the  end  of  the  world." 

Mr.  Thurston  was  endowed  with  an  excellent  disposi- 
tion, and  possessed  a  good  natural  constitution,  with  a 
quick  and  brilliant  imagination.  He  was  mild,  studious, 
and  amiable  in  his  family  ;  lively  and  engaging  in  the 
society  of  his  friends  ;  tender,  solemn,  and  devotional  a- 
mong  the  sons  and  daughters  of  affliction  j  easy  and  grace- 
ful in  all  his  publick  movements  ;  his  voice  was  strong 
and  melodious,  and  his  heart  all  alive  in  the  great  and 
arduous  work  of  the  ministry  of  reconciliation. 

He  generally  wrote  the  heads  of  his  sermons,  the  quo- 
tations from  Scripture,  and  some  of  the  most  interesting 
ideas  which  he  thought  necessary  for  the  clear  illustra- 
tion of  his  subject.  These  he  commonly  committed  to 
memory,  and  but  seldom  had  his  notes  before  him  in 
publick. 

Mr.  Thurston  being  possessed  of  pleasing  pulpit  tal- 
ents, and  giving  himself  wholly  to  the  work  of  the  min- 
istry, his  hearers  became  so  numerous  that  his  meeting- 


Biography  of  Gardner  T/jurston.  385 

house  was  enlarged  twice,  till  it  was  15  by  50  feet,  and 
was  well  filled  as  long  as  he  was  able  to  preach.  He  was 
favoured  with  repeated  revivals  of  religion  among  his 
people.  Though  these  revivals  were  small  in  comparison 
with  what  many  experience  in  the  present  day,  yet  his 
success  was  not  measured  by  the  duration  of  his  minis- 
try ;  for  many  who  joined  the  church  a  number  of  years 
after  he  was  dead,  dated  their  awakenings,  and  some  the 
beginning  of  their  hope  in  the  Saviour's  merits,  under 
his  preaching.  A  number  of  ministers  own  him  as  an 
instrument  in  the  Lord's  hands  of  their  awakening, 
comfort,  and  establishment  in  the  faith  of  God's  elect. 

Mr.  Thurston  was  well  acquainted  with  afflictions  and 
bereavements  ;  for  he  lived  to  see  all  his  near  relations 
buried,  except  one  daughter  ;  and  having  passed  through 
many  temptations  as  a  Christian  and  minister,  he  was 
well  qualified  for  both  sympathy  and  advice. 

In  1792,  he  wrote  as  follows : 

"  JVew/iorl,  (R.L)  24JA  March,  1792. 

"  Dear  Madam, 

"  I  have  heard  that  you  have  not  enjoyed  so  good  health  of  late  as  visual, 
on  account  of  the  loss  of  one  of  your  eyes;  and  that  you  de&ire  me  to  write  you 
on  this  subject. 

"  The  loss  of  the  sight  of  one  eye  is  very  great,  and  it  Is  a  mercy  you  have 
one  left.  These  bodily  eyes  must  soon  fail,  be  closed,  and  we  be  in  the  land  of 
darkness,  where  we  shall  not  need  them.  But,  dear  madam,  there  is  another 
eye  which  the  Lord  can  give  to  all  who  love  him  supremely ;  which  is  vastlv 
preferable  to  us,  even  in  this  world  ;  I  mean  the  eye  of  faith.  By  this  Abra- 
ham saw  Christ's  day  and  was  glad ;  by  this  Job  saw  his  Redeemer,  ai,;l  Mo- 
ses saw  him  who  was  invisible.  By  this,  we  now  behold  the  once  suffering, 
bleeding  Lamb  of  God,  who  died  for  our  sins,  and  rose  again  fov  our  jubtifica- 
tion  ;  yes,  by  this  eye  we  crji  look  within  the  vail,  and  see  Christ  seated  on  the 
right  hand  of  Gixl,  and  ever  living  to  make  intercession  for  all  who  come  unto 
God  by  him.  By  this  eye,  we  can  look  through  the  pearly  gates  of  the.  New- 
Jerusalem,  and  view  the  spirits  of  the  just  made  perfect,  joined  with  the  bfcssed 
angels  in  celebrating  the  praises  Of  their  God  and  King. 

"  ()  transporting  sight !  Methinks,  madam,  you  are  now  ready  to  cry. 
Lord,  evermore  give  me  this  sight !  He  will  give  it  to  every  one  who  comes 
unto  him  and  asks  for  it.  Yes,  clear  friend,  1  have  something  more  to  say ; 
that  we  shall  see  die  dear  Lord  with  these  bodily  eyes,  though  useless  in  the 
grave.  He  will  change  these  vile  bodies,  with  all  their  members,  and  fashion 
them  like  his  own  glorious  body.  Then  Lope  will  cease  ia  fruition,  and  faith  iu 
vision.  Then  those  eyes  which  have  been  so  long  closed  and  useless,  shall  be 
opened  again,  and  made  useful.  With  mine  eyes  shall  I  behold  him,  and  not 
another  for  me.  Then  shall  we  see  the  Saviour,  and  converse  with  him,  as  one 
friend  converseth  with  another.  We  shall  see  him,  and  l>e  entirely  conformed 
to  his  image,  aud  be  ever  with  the  Lord.  Think,  dear  friend,  what  a  glorious 
sight  this  will  be,  which  can  never  wax  old  or  dim.  The  inhabitants  of  the 
New-Jerusalem  shall  no  more  say  they  are  sick.  There  will  be  no  more  pain ; 
sorrow  and  sighing  sliall  entirely  flee  away. 

"  The  dear  Lord  grant  you,  and  every  branch  of  your  family,  this  portion. 

"  I  remain  your  sincere  friend,         GAR DNER  THURSTON." 
VOL,  2.  49 


385  Biography  of  Gardner  Thurstw. 

To  a  young  Minister  under  some  trials. 

"  1  rejoice  in  the  grace  of  G  >1  h-jstowed  on  you,  and  the  success  granted  you, 
I  pray  Gcxl  to  give  you  t>  i  the  serpent,  and  the  Irirnilessijeis  of  the 

dove.    A  good  cauae,  a  go  ly  and  uniform  conduct,  vUl  put 

to  silence  the  ignorance  c'   ,  .  ii.     1  c;t;wt:  yive  you  belter  advice  than 

Paul  gave  to  Timothy.  Head  ;:g*iii  and  again  liis  second  epistle,  second  chap- 
tor.  I  sympathize  with  you  :n  v  our  trub  ;  ;urvd  God  -vvil]  be  \vith  you 
in  six  and  in  seven  troubles.  I  ki/Av  that  your  mind  must  be  tfitll-rently  exer- 
cised; and  S:i.  be  wanting  on  his  part  to  take  every  auvant . 
hurt  your  usefti'.  .".  there  arc  sorue  .: ; ike  with  him,  and  watch- 
for  your  halt'ini;. 

**  I  believe  liuit  God.  who  walks  in  the  midst  of  the  tcven  golden  candlesticks^ 
•wilt  support  and  deleft  you.  lie  upon  your  guard  tuw.t  oft  occasion  f ran  ilu>.se 
wh'<  seek  occasion,  to  sp.^tk  disrespectfully  '.:'  you.  Endeavour  alwa- s  to  tx- 
.  a  gospel  temper.  If  they  curse,  dr>  ycj  bless  :  for  Uu:  servant  of  the  Lord 
must  not  strive,  but  in  meekness  instruct  those  v,  ho  oppose  themselves.  Von 
must  iiot  tliink  your  ;'fi\ictio.is  strange  ;  they  are  vvhc-.t  \'our  Master  and  inanr 
tf  his  servants  met  with  before.  You  are  onl\  vour  measure  of  that 

whicli  was  belirad  of  thc'affiictiou  of  Christ  in  \  .  for  the  body's  s:-.ker 

vhich  is  the  cb.uvch.  O  I)le'-Sv.icl  privilege,  to  partake  \vi-_li  Christ  inhis  afflic- 
tions !  Be  :iot  c!i1.-:  uraged,  for  tl:e  power  of  the  crien:y  is  iimiced  like  the  gre.it 
deep ;  hitherto  it  may  come,  and  no  further.  Fcr  the  wrath  of  man  shall 
praise  him,  ar/.l  the  remaiader  shall  he  restrain. 

"Concenung  polemick  performances,  I  will  just  o';.scrve,  that  I  have  for- 
merly read  many,  and  after  all,  I  find  the  Bible  to  be  the  best  book  to  discover 
what  truth  is,  and  to  establish  us  in  the  truth.  In  this  b>ok  we  find  a  glorious 
display  of  God's  justice  in  the  righteous  condemn1  tiKni  of  the  wicked  ;  and 
a  glorious  display  of  divine  grace  in  the  salvation  cf  his  people.  Even  from  tile- 
foundation  to  the  top-stone,  it  is  all  grace,  grace,  free  grace." 

In  178*,  a  little  after  the  death  of  his  wife,  he  thus 
addressed  one  of  his  correspondents : 

"  I  embrace  the  present  opportunity  to  inform  you,  that  I  enjoy  a  better  state 
of  health,  than  I  have  tor  some  years  past  I  have  abundant  reason  to  bless 
God,  who  has  been  the  guide  of  my  youth,  and  thvcugh  life ;  for  that  support. 
afforded  me  in  the  late  trying  dispensation  which  1  have  passed  through.  He 
has,  indeed,  been  a  present  help  in  time  of  trouble.  How  unsuitable  would 
it  be  for  us,  to  have  all  our  evils  and  trying  cluu.gos  in  vic-w  at  once !  Therefore- 
let  us  admire  the  W'.-rds  ci"  .lesus,  Sufficient  to  tiie  day  is  the  evil  thereof. 

"  (),  m:iy  I  ever  lean  on  my  helper,  God.  I  am  indeed  passing  through  the 
furnace  of  "affliction,  and  drinking  the  bitter  cup  of  UK-  same;  but  it  is  the  cup 
iwhich  my  heavenly  Father  ghes  me,  a::d  it  is  nr.xed  with  mercy.  It  is  all 
light ;  for  I  am  sure  that  Infinite  Goodness  order.--  all  things  for  the  best  for  them 
who  love  him.  O  why  should  such  an  unprofitable  sei  vant  as  I  am  be  spared  ? 
What  arc  the  designs  of  Providence  ?  Surely  the  Lord  has  something  further 
for  me  to  do  in  his  house:,  else  I  should  have  been  ciu.  do.vn.  I  am  firm  in  the 
opinion,  that  God  will  not  take  away  his  ministers  b< •iVr.-c  their  work  is  done.  It" 
there  be  one  more  sinner  to  be  converted  by  :h-ir  mhvs'n .-,  one  more  saint  to  be 


or  a  Christian  wish  to  stay  one  moment  longer  out  of  heaven  than  he  can  be 
useful  ?" 

Mr.  Thurston  was  not  able  to  preach  for  about  three 
years  before  his  death  ;  yet  he  was  able  to  attend  meet- 
ing for  the  most  part  of  that  time,  and  to  visit  his  flock, 
to  speak  comfortably  unto  God's  people.  He  ap- 


Biography  of  .Gardner  Thur-sion.  38? 

peared  to  be  all  the  time  on  the  wing  for  heaven  ;  in  fine, 
\ve  can  say  with  propriety,  that  his  conversation  was  in 
heaven.  A  number  of  ministers  and  Christi:v>  f  tends 
\isited  him,  in  the  cour.se  of  about  eighteen  months  be* 
fore  his  death,  and  it  was  their  uniform  opinion,  that 
they  never  saw  any  one  so  unconditionally  given  up  to 
live  on  the  promises  of  God,  as  he  was ;  and  who  would 
talk  so  familiarly  and  constantly  about  death — being  with 
Jesus — knowing  the  saints  in  heaven — and  the  unuttera- 
ble felicity  which  would  overwhelm  the  whole  ransomed 
family  of  God,  in  the  resurrection  morning. 

Mr.  Thurston  was  remarkably  fond  of  meditating  and 
conversing  upon  the  triumphs  of  the  Christian  over  death 
and  the  grave ;  and  the  perfection  of  our  nature,  and  the 
extcnsiveness  of  our  knowledge,  when  we  come  to 
dwell  with  Christ  in  heaven.  "  O,"  said  he,  "  when  I 
come  into  the  glorious  presence  of  my  Lord,  I  shall  sea 
and  know  those  servants  and  children  of  my  heavenly 
Father,  with  whom  I  took  sweet  counsel  while  on  earth. 
Yes,  I  shall  know  them  as  quick  and  with  as  much  cer- 
tainty as  Peter  knew  Moses  and  Elias,  when  they  descend- 
ed  from  heaven  to  mount  Tabor  to  converse  with  Christ. 
I  am  not  afraid  to  die ;  for  my  Lord  Jesus  is  with  me> 
and  I  shall  fear  no  evil.  I  know  whom  I  have  believ- 
ed, and  am  sure  that  he  will  keep  that,  xvhich  I  have  com- 
mitted unto  him.  What  is  that  ?  It  is  my  all,  for  I  have 
been  enabled  to  give  myself  into  his  hands  ;  therefore  I 
am  not  troubled  about  his  property,  for  he  knows  how 
to  keep  it." 

One  morning,  just  after  he  had  recovered  from  a  faint- 
ing fit,  he  said  to  a  friend,  with  a  smile  upon  his  counte- 
nance, "  I  did  not  think  of  seeing  your  face  again  in  th» 
flesh,  one  hour  past ;  for  I  expected  to  have  been  with 
Jesus  in  heaven  before  this  moment.  Yet  I  do  not  wish 
you  to  think,  that  my  Lord  will  tarry  too  long.  Hie 
understanding  is  infinite  :  he  is  unchangeable.  I  have 
lived  to  a  good  old  age,  and  have  seen  the  salvation  of  the 
Lord.  I  long  to  see  my  Saviour  in  glory.  He  will  come 
quickly.  For  me  to  die  is  gain,  The  death  of  the  right- 
eous is  called  only  a  sleep.  Them  who  sleep  in  Jesus  will 
God  bring  with  him  ;  and  the  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise 
Erst.  We  slull  then  be  like  him,  for  we  shalj  see  him  as 


388  Biography  »f  Jeremiah  Walker. 

he  is.  He  will  change  our  vile  bodies,  and  make  them 
like  unto  his  most  glorious  body.  Then  shall  I  be  satis- 
fied," &c. 

A  little  after  this,  he  was  more  unwell,  and  his  speech 
failed  him  so  much,  that  he  was  never  afterwards  able  to 
speak  intelligibly.  But  a  serene  and  smiling  countenance 
and  expressive  gestures,  showed  that  he  retained  his  rea- 
son, and  that  he  was  calm  and  joyful  in  the  approach  of 
death  ;  and  after  remaining  in  this  situation  a  few  days, 
he  fell  asleep  in  Jesus,  on  the  2;id  of  May,  18O2,  in  the 
eighth-first  year  of  his  age.  A  suitable  discourse  was 
delivered  at  his  interment  by  Mr.  Gano,  of  Providence. 

These  sketches  have  been  extracted  from  a  Memoir 
written  by  Mr.  Joshua  Bradley,  who  succeeded  this  ven- 
erable father  in  the  pastoral  office. 


JEREMIAH  WALKER  was  born  in  Bute  county,  North- 
Carolina,  about  the  year  1747.     He  possessed  rare  and 
singular  talents.     When  but  a  small  boy,  although  de- 
scended from  rather  obscure  parentage,  and  having  very 
little  education,  he  was  remarkably  fond  of  reading  and 
improving  his  mind.     He  was  also  noticed  as  a  boy  of 
very  moral  and  virtuous  habits.     When  quite  young  he 
embraced  vital  religion,  and  being  baptized,  soon  began  to 
preach.     The  few  Baptist  preachers  that  were  then  in  the 
ministry  were  very  illiterate,     Mr.  Walker  of  course  had 
very  little  opportunity  of  improving  his  small  stock  of 
literature,  from  their  conversation  ;  but  the  invincible  en- 
ergies of  his  genius  towered  above  every  obstruction.    He 
quickly  shone  forth  with  so  much  splendour  as  to  make 
it  questionable,  whether  the  obscurity  of  his  education, 
as  well  as  the  unlearnedness  of  his  society,  did  not,  by 
leaving  his  mind  unshackled  from  scholastick  dogmas 
and  from  critical  strictures,  rather  advance  than  impede 
his  real  greatness.     After  preaching  in  his  nativ^  neigh- 
bourhood, and  in  Pittsylvania  county,  Virginia,  for  some 
few  years,  he  was  induced  by  the  new  church  called  Not- 
toway,  formed  in  Amelia  county,  Virginia,  (now  Notto- 
way)  to  move  down  and  take  the  pastoral  charge  of  tnem. 
This  took  place,  anno  1769.     Here  he  became  very  con- 


Biography  of  Jeremiah  Walker.  389 

spicuous,  and  disseminated  his  evangelical  principles  far 
and  near.  He  was  almost  incessantly  employed  in  preach- 
ing the  gospel.  In  a  few  years,  aided  by  others,  particu- 
larly certain  young  preachers  of  his  own  raising,  be 
planted  between  twenty  and  thirty  churches  south  of 
James-river.  In  these  were  also  a  considerable  number 
of  gift  ed  characters,  who  afterwards  became  distinguished 
preachers.  All  of  whom  were  either  brought  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  truth  through  his  ministry,  or  were 
nurtured  under  his  fostering  hand,  after  they  were 
brought.  All  who  knew  him  about  this  time,  coincide 
in  ascribing  to  him  every  thing  that  is  desirable  in  a  min- 
ister of  the  gospel.  In  talents,  as  a  preacher,  he  was 
equalled  by  few  of  any  denomination.  His  voice  was 
melodious,  his  looks  were  affectionate,  his  manner  was 
impressive  and  winning,  his  reasoning  was  clear  and  con- 
clusive, his  figures  were  elegant,  well  chosen,  and  strictly 
applicable  ;  all  of  which  advantages  were  heightened  by 
the  most  unaffected  simplicity.  In  private  conversation, 
he  was  uncommonly  entertaining  and  instructing  to  all, 
but  especially  to  young  preachers.  Affable  with  ail  sorts 
of  people,  he  was  beloved  and  admired  as  far  as  he  was 
known.  Besides  this,  he  was  considered  by  all  his  ac- 
quaintances exemplarily  pious,  and,  no  doubt,  was  so  at 
that  time.  No  spot  nor  wrinkle  was  found  in  his  char- 
acter. 

So  distinguished  a  man  among  the  despised  Baptists, 
could  not  long  escape  the  notice  of  their  opponents. 
When  persecution  began  to  arise,  the  enemies  of  the 
cross  soon  cast  their  eyes  on  Jeremiah  Walker.  Him 
they  viewed  as  the  champion.  "  If  we  can  but  silence 
him,"  said  they,  "  the  whole  host  beside  will  hide  them- 
selves in  dens  and  caverns."  Accordingly  he  was  arrest, 
ed  in  Chesterfield  county,  by  virtue  of  a  warrant  from  a 
magistrate,  and,  after  examination,  was  committed  to  jail. 
His  patience,  humility,  and  uniform  prudence  and  piety, 
while  in  prison,  acquired  for  him  the  esteem  of  all;  whose 
prejudices  would  allow  them  to  think  favourably  of  a 
Baptist.  He  kept  a  journal  or  diary,  when  confined,  in 
which  are  some  of  the  most  pious  and  sensible  reflections. 

When  Mr.  Walker  came  out  of  jail,  he  stood,  if  possi- 
ble, in  higher  estimation  than  he  had  done  before. 


390  Biography  of  Jeremiah  Walker. 

Wherever  he  went  to  preach,  he  was  attended  by  a  large 
concourse  ;  and  from  his  preaching  the  most  beneficial 
consequences  were  constantly  produced. 

Here,  alas !  we  could  willingly  drop  the  pencil,  and 
leave  the  picture  with  these  bright  colourings :  but  our 
wishes  cannot  be  indulged ;  candour  compels  us  to  forego 
the  desire.  Like  the  inspired  historians,  we  must  not 
only  exhibit  the  goodness  and  greatness  of  God's  people, 
but  their  foibles  and  their  follies  too.  They  told  of  Da- 
vid's rise ;  they  told  of  his  downfall  likewise.  No-  max- 
im is  more  surely  established  by  experience  and  observa- 
tion, than  this — High  delights  are  fraught  with  great 
dangers.  God  hath  set  adversity  over  against  prosperity. 
And  whenever  a  man  in  any  character  arises  to  distin- 
guished eminence,  he  may  look  for  some  downfall,  unless 
he  watch  his  steps  with  a  commensurate  vigilance. 

Mr.  Walker  had  arrived  to  a  degree  of  distinction  far 
above  his  associates.  In  whatever  direction  he  might 
travel,  he  was  hailed  by  many  as  a  father  in  the  gospel. 
Caressed  by  his  friends ;  admired  by  all,  even  by  his 
enemies  j  invited  to  the  society  of  the  great ;  very  influ- 
ential, and  indeed  all-powerful  in  Associations  and  other 
places  among  the  Baptists  ;  still  young  and  inexperien- 
ced ;  it  will  not  appear  strange  to  an  experienced  mind, 
that  this  man,  thus  standing  on  a  pinnacle,  should  tilt 
Over. 

"Oh,  popular  applause,  what  heart  of  mart 

Is  proof  against  thy  sweet  seducing  charms  1 

The  wisest  aud  the  l>tst  feel  argent  need 

Of  all  their  caution,  in  thy  gentlest  gales* 

But,  swell'cl  into  a  gust,  who  then,  alas! 

Yv'ith  all  his  canvass  set,  and,  inexpert, 

And  therefore  heedless,  can  withstand  thy  pow'r  ?" 

In  every  good  there  will  be  some  evil.  The  plain,  fa- 
miliar, affectionate  manners  of  the  Baptists  in  those  days, 
under  suitable  restrictions,  were  surely  favourable  to  vi- 
tal piety.  This  habit,  however,  among  the  unsuspicious 
ftnd  incautious,  exposed  them  to  snares,  into  which  too 
many  fall.  It  would  have  been  happy  for  Mr.  Walker, 
if  he  had  observed  somewhat  more  of  etiquette,  especial- 
ly among  females.  Their  fondness  for  his  company,  un- 
der the  pretence  of  religious  affection,  was  often  nothing 
more  than  carnal  love  in  disguise.  He  was  ultimately 
entrapped.  .In  the  year  177*,  he  attempted  a  criminal 


Biography  of  Jeremiah  Walker,  391 

intrigue  with  a  young  woman,  for  which  he  was  exclu- 
ded ;  but  soon  again  restored,  on  account  of  his  appar- 
ently deep  contrition.  His  deportment  after  this  was  so 
correct  for  some  years,  that  he  had  almost  regained  his 
former  standing.  But,  lamentable  to  relate,  about  the 
year  1784-  or  1785,  he  fell  into  a  similar  transgression,  in 
which  things  were  carried  much  farther  than  the  first.  He 
was  immediately  excluded  from  fellowship.  He  sunk 
down  into  the  utmost  contempt.  His  name  sounded  with 
infamy  far  and  near.  The  friends  of  religion  were  abash- 
ed beyond  expression  ;  while  their  enemies  triumphed,  as 
if  the  Baptists  had  sunk  never  to  rise  again.  In  no  great 
while  after  this  wretched  event,  he  moved  to  Georgia  j 
from  whence,  in  the  year  1788,  he  visited  Virginia  ;  pro- 
fessed to  be  again  restored  to  divine  favour,  and  petition- 
ed the  church  from  which  he  had,  been  excluded,  to  re- 
instate him  into  membership.  After  some  impediment* 
were  removed,  he  was  received  as  a  member,  and  also 
permitted  to  resume  his  ministry. 

The  sequel  of  his  life  is  almost  a  continual  struggle 
against  the  prejudices  of  both  church  and  world.  The 
sword  never  departed  from  his  home.  After  his  restoration, 
his  morals  were  correct ;  for  in  truth,  except  the  above 
sin,  no  other  seems  to  have  been  capable  of  producing  a 
momentary  temptation  to  his  mind. 

He  became  an  Arminian  after  his  downfall,  and  there- 
by excited  among  the  Georgia  Baptists  no  small  degree 
of  contention.  Finally,  however,  they  split.  Mr.  Walker^ 
with  a  small  party,  formed  a  distinct  society,  called  Gen- 
eral Baptists. 

In  179J,  he  travelled  into  Virginia,  and  attended  the 
Association,  holden  by  the  Middle  District,  at  Cedar 
Creek,  in  Lunenburg  county.  From  thence  he  went  to 
the  General  Committee,*  in  Goochland  j  and  then  went 
through  various  parts  of  the  State,  leaving  his  pamphlets 
and  his  verbal  arguments  in  favour  of  Anninianismr 
whithersoever  he  went.  In  this  journey  of  Mr.  Walker^ 
those  who  associated  with  him,  found  him  still  the  same 
pleasant,  sensible,  instructing,  genteel  character,  that  he 
fcad  formerly  been. 

*  Sec  an  Account  of  that  General  Committee,  ia  Virginia. 


392  Biography  of  Saunders  WalLr. 

Alas,  alas  !  that  so  splendid  a  garment  should  ba  so 
spotted  ! 

In  his  list  illness,  he  endured,  with  remarkable  forti- 
tude and  Christian  re^gnation,  the  most  excruciating  and 
acute  sufferings.  He  died  September  '2Oth,  1792.  Rev. 
Abraham  Marshall  preached  his  funeral  sermon  from 
!Zechariah,  1 1  th  chap,  and  2d  verse.  "  How/,Jir>tree  ;  for 
the  cedar  is  fallen  " 

Mr.  Walker  married  Miss  Jane  Graves,  in  North-Caro- 
lina, when  very  young.  They  lived  together  in  great 
harmony  for  many  years.  After  he  went  to  Georgia, 
she  died,  and  he  married  a  widow  lady,  with  whom  he 
lived  also  in  the  strictest  harmony ;  for,  his  slips  not- 
withstanding, he  was  exceedingly  affectionate  and  kind 
in  his  family. 

Mr.  Walker  had  a  principal  hand  in  drafting  for  the 
Baptists  their  petitions  and  remonstrances  to  the  Virgin- 
ia Assembly ;  he  also  took  an  active  and  successful  part 
in  supporting  them  in  the  House,  where  he  gained  the 
applause  of  the  candid  members,  as  a  man  of  sense  and 
address. 

He  published  a  number  of  pamphlets,  mostly  on  con- 
troversial subjects  ;  the  most  distinguished  of  which  was 
the  one  entitled,  "  The  fourfold  foundation  of  Calvinis???, 
examined  and  shaken.*' 

ScmpJe. 


SAUNDERS  WALKER  was  for  many  years  one  of  the 
most  useful  ministers  in  the  upper  regions  of  Georgia. 
He  was  born  March  17,  174O,  in  Prince  William  county, 
Virginia,  and  was  a  brother  of  Jeremiah  Walker,  whose 
history  has  just  been  related  ;  and  although  his  abilities 
were  not  equal  to  his  brother's,  yet  he,  different  from 
him,  maintained  through  life  a  character  fair  and  unim- 
peachable. He  was  a  singular  instance  of  the  transform- 
ing influence  of  the  grace  of  God.  Before  his  conver- 
sion, he  was  of  a  turbulent,  unmanageable  temper,  and 
much  addicted  to  the  vices  naturally  attendant  on  such 
a  disposition.  But  the  Divine  Spirit  not  only  changed 
his  heart,  but  his  nature  too  ;  so  that  he  was  ever  after 
distinguished  for  the  meekness  and  gravity  of  his  deport* 


Biography  of  John  Waller.  3D3 

ment :  the  nieek  Saunders  Walker •,  was  a  proverbial  expres- 
sion among  all  who  knew  him.  He  began  to  preach  in 
South-Carolina  in  1 767,  in  the  27th  year  of  his  age,  and 
for  thirty-eight  years  continued  a  faithful  and  successful 
minister  of  the  cross  of  Christ.  About  four  years  after 
he  began  his  ministerial  course,  he  moved  to  Bute  county, 
North-Carolina,  to  a  place  notorious  for  wickedness  and 
ignorance  of  religion.  But  it  pleased  his  Master  to  be 
with  him  here,  and  in  a  short  time  a  considerable  church 
arose  under  his  ministry.  In  1782,  he  removed  to  Geor- 
gia, where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days.  Here  he 
became  a  companion  in  gospel  labours  with  Daniel  Mar- 
shall, and  they  were  for  a  time  the  only  ordained  min- 
isters in  the  upper  part  of  the  State.  The  country  was 
now  new  and  in  an  uncultivated  state,  both  in  a  natural 
and  a  religious  point  of  view.  At  this  time  also  disputes 
ran  high  between  Whigs  and  Tories,  from  which  many 
evils  resulted.  Mr.  Walker  not  only  became  the  laborious 
preacher  of  the  gospel,  but  the  successful  mediator  be- 
tween contending  parties,  was  the  means  of  preventing 
many  evils  amongst  them,  and  of  procuring  much  good 
for  those  who  were  in  trouble  and  want. 

After  spending  a  life  of  distinguished  usefulness,  he 
finished  his  course  with  joy,  in  1805,  in  the  65th  year  of 
his  age. 

[This  account  of  Mr.  Walker  was  furnished  by  Mr.  Jesse  Mercer,  of  Georgia.] 


JOHN  WALLER,  born  Dec.  23d,  1741,  in  Spottsylvania, 
county,  was  a  descendant  of  the  honourable  Wallers  in 
England.  At  a  very  early  period,  he  manifested  a  great 
talent  for  satyrical  wit.  This  determined  his  uncle,  who 
had  the  direction  of  his  education,  to  bring  him  up  for 
the  law.  He  was  put  to  a  grammar-school,  and  made 
encouraging  advancement  in  the  dead  languages.  His 
uncle's  death,  and  his  father's  narrow  resources,  added 
to  his  own  unbridled  inclinations  to  vice,  prevented  him 
from  finishing  even  his  classical  education.  He  now  be- 
gan indeed  to  study,  not  the  laws  of  the  land,  but  those 
of  the  gaming-table.  Letting  himself  loose  to  every  spe- 
cies of  wickedness  and  profanity,  he  quickly  acquired  for 

VOL.  2.  50 


394-  Biography  of  John  Waller. 

himself  the  infamous  appellation  of  Swearing  Jack  Waller, 
by  which  he  was  distinguished  from  others  of  the  same 
name.  So  far  did  he  indulge  his  mischievous  temper, 
that  he  once  had  three  warrants  served  on  him  at  the 
same  time,  on  account  of  one  uproar.  It  was  frequently 
remarked  by  the  common  people,  "  that  there  could  be 
no  deviltry  among  the  people,  unless  Swearing  Jack  was 
at  the  head  of  it."  He  was  sometimes  called  the  devil's 
adjutant  to  muster  his  troops.  To  these  may  be  added 
his  fury  against  the  Baptists.  He  was  one  of  the  grand 
jury  who  presented  Louis  Craig  for  preaching.  This 
happily  terminated  in  his  good.  Mr.  Craig  watched  the 
dismission  of  the  grand  jury,  and  found  means  to  secure 
their  attention,  while  he  addressed  them  in  the  following 
harangue  :  "  I  thank  you,  gentlemen  of  the  grand  jury, 
for  the  honour  you  have  done  me.  While  I  was  wicked 
and  injurious,  you  took  no  notice  of  me  ;  but  since  I  have 
altered  my  course  of  life,  and  endeavoured  to  reform  my 
neighbours,  you  concern  yourselves  much  about  me.  I 
forgive  my  persecuting  enemies,  and  shall  take  joyfully 
the  spoiling  of  my  goods."  When  Mr.  Waller  heard 
him  speak  in  that  manner,  and  observed  the  meekness  of 
his  spirit,  he  was  convinced  that  Craig  was  possessed  of 
something  that  he  had  never  seen  in  the  man  before.  He 
thought  within  himself,  that  he  should  be  happy  if  he 
could  be  of  the  same  religion  with  Mr.  Craig.  From  this 
time  he  began  to  attend  their  meetings,  and  was  found  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  The  commandment  came,  and  he  died. 
He  s~aw  and  felt  himself  a  sinner.  He  now,  for  the  first 
time,  except  in  blaspheming,  began  to  call  upon  the  name 
of  the  Lord.  His  convictions  were  deep  and  pungent. 
He  ate  no  pleasant  bread  and  drank  no  pleasant  water, 
for  seven  or  eight  months,  during  which  time  he  was  al- 
most in  despair.  He  relates  his  exercises  in  the  following 
words  : 

"  I  had  long  felt  the  greatest  abhorrence  of  myself,  and 
began  almost  to  despair  of  the  mercy  of  God.  However, 
I  determined  in  my  own  soul,  never  to  rest  from  seeking, 
until  it  pleased  God  to  show  mercy,  or  cut  me  off.  Un- 
der these  impressions  I  was,  at  a  certain  place,  sitting  under 
preaching.  On  a  sudden,  a  man  exclaimed  that  he  had 
found  grace,  and  began  to  praise  God.  No  mortal  can 


Biography  ef  John  Waller,  395 

describe  the  horror  with  which  I  was  seized  at  that  in- 
stant. I  began  to  conclude  my  damnation  was  certain. 
Leaving  the  meeting,  I  hastened  to  a  neighbouring  wood, 
and  dropped  on  my  knees  before  God,  to  beg  for  mercy. 
In  an  instant  I  felt  my  heart  melt,  and  a  sweet  applica- 
tion of  the  Redeemer's  love  to  my  poor  soul.  The  calm 
was  great,  but  short." 

From  this  time  he  felt  some  increase  of  strength  ;  yet 
at  some  times  he  felt  the  enemy  break  in  upon  him  like 
a  flood,  and  he  would  be  almost  ready  to  give  up  his  hope. 
But  the  application  of  these  words,  gave  him  great  com- 
fort :  "  Who  is  among  you  that  feareth  the  Lord  j  that 
walketh  in  darkness  and  hath  no  light  j  let  him  trust  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord,  and  stay  upon  his  God."  Isaiah 
1.  10.  And  again,  "By  this  we  know  that  we  have 
passed  from  death  unto  life,because  we  love  the  brethren." 

By  the  time  Messrs.  Harris  and  Read  came  on  their 
second  tour  into  this  region,  Mr.  Waller  felt  sufficiently 
confident  to  become  a  candidate  for  baptism  ;  and  going 
up  into  Orange  county,  was  there  baptized  by  Mr.  Read, 
some  time  in  the  year  1767.  Baptism  was  to  him,  as  it 
has  been  to  thousands,  a  sanctified  ordinance.  His  soul 
received  a  great  accession  of  strength  and  comfort. 
Christ  was  revealed  in  him.  Having  contracted  debts 
by  dissipation,  he  sold  property  to  pay  them.  He  con- 
ferred not  with  flesh  and  blood  ;  but  began  to  preach, 
that  men  ought  every  where  to  repent.  It  was  not  long 
before  his  labours  became  effectual,  at  least,  one  way. 
That  arch  enemy  of  souls,  whom  he  had  served  so  faith- 
fully before,  now  began  to  roar  in  hideous  peals  against 
him,  and  succeeded  in  raising  up  a  powerful  opposition. 

At  length  it  was  thought  proper  to  constitute  a  church 
in  Mr.  Waller's  neighbourhood  ;  who  making  choice  of 
him  as  pastor,  he  was  ordained  to  the  work  of  the  min- 
istry, June  20th,  1770.  He  now  began  to  lengthen  his 
cords.  Bending  his  course  downwards,  he  baptized 
William  Webber,  who  afterwards  became  a  distinguished 
preacher  among  the  Virginia  Baptists,  being  the  first  he 
did  baptize.  October,  1770,  accompanied  by  J.  Burriis, 
he  travelled  down  as  far  as  Middlesex,  where  his  minis- 
try was  attended  with  great  success,  and  where  he  also 
met  with  violent  opposition.  From  this  time  a  train  of 


39(5  Biography  of  John  Waller. 

prosperous  events  followed  his  evangelical  exertions. 
Wherever  he  went,  he  was  attended  by  a  divine  power, 
turning  many  to  righteousness.  His  name  sounded  far 
and  wide.  By  the  ungodly,  he  was  considered  as  a  bold 
inexorable  fanatick,  that  would  do  much  mischief  unless 
restrained.  The  Baptists  and  their  adherents  looked  up- 
on him  as  set  for  the  defence  of  their  cause,  and  with 
much  confidence  rallied  round  him  as  their  leader.  His 
persecutions  and  imprisonments,  in  Caroline,  in  Middle- 
sex, in  Essex,  and  other  counties,  have  been  already 
related. 

In  this  bright  and  burning  way,  Waller  continued  un- 
til 1775  or  1776,  when  he  formed  an  acquaintance  with 
one  Williams,  a  preacher  of  some  talents,  apparent  piety, 
and  in  Mr.  Wesley's  connexion,  consequently  an  Armin- 
ian  ;  this  man,  by  his  conversation  and  books,  so  wrought 
upon  Mr.  Waller's  mind,  as  to  bring  him  over  to  believe 
the  Armiman  system.  Knowing  this  to  be  contrary  to 
the  opinions  of  his  brethren,  he  resolved  to  make  a  bold 
effort  to  prea.cn  and  argue  his  principles  at  the  next  Asso- 
cb  tion,  and  thereby  convince  his  brethren  ;  or,  failing  in 
this,  to  submit  to  be  cut  off  from  them.  Accordingly, 
he  took  his  text,  1  Cor.  xiii.  11.'*  When  I  was  a  child,  1 
spake  as  a  child,  I  understood  as  a  child,  I  thought  at  a  child ; 
but  'when  I  became  a  man,  I  put  away  childish  things."  In 
his  exordium  he  stated,  that  when  young  and  inexperi- 
enced in  religion,  he  had  fallen  in  with  the  Calvinistick 
plan  ;  but  that,  becoming  more  expert  in  doctrine,  or, 
in  ihe  language  of  his  text,  when  he  became  a  man,  he 
put  away  these  childish  notions.  He  then  went  lengthily 
into  the  argument.  For  want  of  truth,  or  for  want  of 
talents,  he  made  lew  if  any  converts  to  his  opinions,  and 
of  course  had  to  confront  the  whole  host  of  preachers 
and  inen.bers  now  assembled.  Mr.  Waller,  foreseeing 
his  fate,  took  the  shorter  course.  Instead  of  awaiting  a 
fair  trial,  lie  proclaimed  himself  an  independent  Baptist 
preacher.  This  step  was  T---V?.  ;o;y  resorted  to  by  Waller, 
under  an  eyp  ^cation  that  his  popularity  was  so  great, 
that  he  s;i  _.J  be  ?.'  ';  1.0  bring  over  many  of  the  churches 
tohispa-iiy.  E;  it  as  it  may,  he  immediately  commenced 
his  operations  en  un  extensive  plan.  On  his  return  from 
the  Association,  he  used  his  utmost  endeavour  to  form 


Biography  of  John  Waller.  897 

a  strong  party.  He  preached  from  house  to  house  ; 
spread  his  wings  over  a  large  field  of  ministerial  labour  ; 
ordained  lay  elders  in  every  neighbourhood,  to  prevent 
inroads  ;  and  also  several  helps  in  the  ministry.  He  also 
established  what  he  called  camp-meetings,  in  which  they 
continued  together  several  days,  under  certain  written 
regulations,  which  were  in  substance,  as  follow :  1st.  No 
female,  on  any  account  whatever,  shall  be  permitted  to 
appear  in  the  camp,  until  an  hour  after  sun-rise  in  the 
morning,  nor  stay  there  later  than  an  hour  before  sun-set 
at  night.  2d.  The  persons  in  the  camp  shall  depend  for 
sustenance,  during  the  camp-meeting,  on  the  friendly 
hospitality  of  the  neighbourhood.  3d.  Any  person  in 
camp,  waking  at  any  period  of  the  night,  may  pray  or  sing, 
without  disturbing  the  slumbers  of  others.  The  novelty 
of  these  meetings,  excited  the  attention  of  the  people  in 
such  a  manner,  that  great  multitudes  crowded  after  him. 

By  these  means  his  party  gained  strength  daily.  Few 
men  possessed  greater  talents  for  heading  a  party  of  this 
description,  than  Mr,  Waller.  The  only  thing  in  which 
he  was  deficient,  was,  that  he  could  not  be  happy  while 
separated  from  his  brethren.  He  used  to  say  that  in  the 
midst  of  apparent  prosperity  and  the  caresses  of  his  friends, 
he  still  yearned  after  the  people  of  God,  from  whom  he 
had  with-drawn.  Some  years  after  his  restoration,  he 
said  to  a  young  preacher  who  was  dissatisfied,  and  talked 
of  dissenting,  "  If  you  could  have  a  distant  view  of  my 
sufferings  and  leanness  of  soul,  while  a  dissenter  from 
my  brethren,  you  would  never  again  indulge  such  a 
thought/*  He  was  again  fully  reinstated  in  connexion 
with  his  brethren,  in  1787  ;  when  a  full  union  between 
Separates,  Regulars,  and  Independents^  was  accomplish- 
ed.* 

A  very  great  revival  commenced  under  Mr.  Waller's 
ministry,  in  1787.  This  continued  for  several  years  ; 
and  spread  through  all  his  places  of  preaching.  In  this 
revival  he  was  greatly  engaged  ;  and  baptized  from  first 
to  last  many  hundreds,  and  his  church  in  a  short  time 
increased  to  about  15OO  members.  Early  in  this  revival, 
Mr.  A.  Waller,  son  of  his  brother  Benjamin,  was  brought 

*  A  partial  restoration  had  taken  place  some  years  before  this,  so  Unit  Tvit. 
Waller  ami  his  party  met  i»  Association  with  the  Separate  B'-'-p~ 


393  Biography  of  John  Waller. 

in  ;  and  in  some  few  years  began  to  preach.  Mr.  Waller 
immediately  recognized  him  as  his  successor,  and  declared 
that  he  believed  his  work  in  that  part  of  the  earth  was 
finished.  Accordingly,  November  8th,  1 793,  after  taking 
the  most  affectionate  farewell  of  the  churches,  he  moved 
his  family  to  Abbeville  district,  in  the  State  of  South- 
Carolina.  This  removal  was  said  to  have  arisen,  partly 
from  economical  considerations,  and  partly  from  a  strong 
desire  on  his  own,  and  on  the  part  of  his  wife,  to  live 
near  a  beloved  daughter,  who  had  some  time  previously 
married  Rev.  Abraham  Marshall,  of  Georgia.  Perhaps 
there  might  be  other  causes.  His  labours  in  his  new  resi- 
dence were  also  blessed,  but  not  to  a  great  extent.  He 
remained  however  faithful  in  the  cause,  until  his  death, 
which  took  place,  July  4th,  1 802. 

His  death  was,  as  might  be  hoped  and  expected,  truly 
glorious.  His  eldest  son  describes  it  in  the  following 
words : 

"  His  conflict  with  death,  as  it  respected  bodily  afflic- 
tion, was  truly  hard  ;  but  his  soul  appeared  to  be  hap- 
py indeed  !  Never  did  I  witness  such  resignation  and 
Christian  fortitude  before  !  He  was  reduced  to  a  perfect 
skeleton,  and,  in  several  places,  the  skin  was  rubbed  off 
his  bones.  His  pains  appeared  to  be  excruciating,  but 
no  murmur  was  heard  from  his  lips.  On  the  contrary, 
he  would  often  say,  "  I  have  a  good  Master,  who  does 
not  give  me  one  stroke  too  hard,  or  one  too  many." 

"  The  last  sermon  he  preached,  was  on  the  death  of  a 
young  man.     The  text  from   which  he  preached  was, 
Zechariah    ii.  4.  "  Run,  speak   to  this  young  man."     He 
addressed  himself  chiefly  to  youth,  in  feeble  but  anima- 
ting strains,  observing,  that  he  counted  upon   its  being 
the  last  sermon  he  should  ever  preach  ;  and  fervently 
prayed,  that,  Sampson  like,  he  might  slay  more  at  his 
death,  than  he  had  done  in  his  life.     He  continued  speak- 
ing, until  his  strength  failed  him  ;    and  with  reeling 
steps  he  advanced  to  a  bed,  where  we  thought  he  would 
have  expired.     From  thence  he  was  removed  home  in  a 
carriage  for  the  last  time.     He  said,  as  to  his  soul,  he  was 
under  no  concern  ;  as  he  had  given  it  to  Jesus  long  since  ; 
and  he  was  under  no  doubt  but  what  his  Master  would 
provide  a  mansion  for  it.     Just  before  his  departure,  he 


Biography  of  John  Waller.  399 

summoned  all  his  family  around  him,  black  and  white, 
and  told  them,  he  was  anxious  to  be  gone  and  to  be 
present  with  Christ ;  and  then  warned  them  to  walk  in 
the  fear  of  God.  cordially  shook  hands  with  all,  and  soon 
after,  with  a  pleasant  countenance,  breathed  his  last,  and 
fell  asleep  in  Jesus.  I  looked  on  the  corpse  with  these 
words  fresh  in  my  mind, 

"  O  lovely  appearance  of  death." 

Thus  this  great  man  of  God  conquered  the  last  enemy, 
and  -ascended  to  that  rest,  that  remameth  for  the  people  of 
God.  He  died  in  the  sixty-second  year  of  his  age  ;  hav- 
ing been  a  minister  of  God's  word  for  about  thirty-five 
years ;  having,  in  that  time,  lain  in  four  different  jails, 
for  the  space  of  one  hundred  and  thirteen  days,  in  all, 
besides  bufferings,  stripes,  reproaches,  &c.  Nor  was  his 
labour  in  vain  in  the  Lord.  While  in  Virginia,  he  bap- 
tized more  than  two  thousand  persons  ;  assisted  in  the 
ordination  of  twenty-seven  ministers ;  and  helped  to 
constitute  eighteen  churches.  For  many  years,  he  had 
the  ministerial  care  of  five  churches,  to  whom  he  preach- 
ed statedly. 

As  a  preacher,  his  talents  in  the  pulpit  were  not  a- 
bove  mediocrity ;  but  he  was  certainly  a  man  of  very 
strong  mind.  His  talents  for  art  and  intrigue  were 
equalled  by  few.  This  he  exercised  sometimes,  as  it 
was  thought,  beyond  the  innocence  of  the  dove.  He 
was,  perhaps,  too  emulous  to  carry  his  favourite  points,, 
especially  in  Associations  ;  yet  it  must  be  owned,  that 
such  influence  as  he  acquired  in  this  way,  he  always  en- 
deavoured to  turn  to  the  glory  of  God. 

He  had  married  to  Miss  E.  Curtis,  previous  to  his 
becoming  religious.  By  her  he  had  a  number  of  chil- 
dren, some  of  whom  the  old  man  had  the  happiuess  to 
see  profess  the  same  faith  with  himself. 

Semple* 


WILLIAM  WEBBER,  was  born  August  1.5,  1747,  of 
parents  in  the  middle  line  of  life.  His  education  was* 
but  slender,  having  been  sent  to  school  only  three  years. 
At  16  years  of  age  he  was  put  an  apprentice  to  a  house- 
joiner.  After  the  expiration  of  his  apprenticeship,  hs 


400  Biography  of  William  Webber. 

continued  to  work  at  his  trade,  until  God  called  him  to 
be  a  workman  for  him.  In  October,  1769,  was  the  first 
time  he  heard  the  Baptists  preach,  when  he  was  awaken- 
ed to  know  his  danger  ;  and  his  spirit  took  no  rest  from 
that  time,  until  about  six  months  after,  when  he  obtain- 
ed a  hope  of  salvation  ;  and  was  baptized,  June  177O, 
by  Elder  John  Waller,  then  just  ordained.  He  had,  as 
was  usual  about  that  time,  commenced  an  exhorter,  pre- 
vious to  his  being  baptized. 

Few  men  in  Virginia  suffered  more  persecutions  than 
Mr.  Webber.  He  was  first  seized  in  Chesterfield  county, 
December  7,  177O,  and  imprisoned  in  that  county  jail 
until  March  7,  1771,  just  three  months.  In  August,  the 
same  year,  he  was  taken  off  the  stage,  where  he  was 
preaching,  in  Middlesex  county,  and  put  into  prison, 
where  he  was  confined  forty-five  days,  having  the  bounds 
a  part  of  the  time.  In  both  these  prisons,  he  and  his  fel- 
low-sufferers used  to  preach  through  the  grates  regularly 
twice  a  week,  to  such  as  would  come  to  hear.  Besides 
these  imprisonments,  he  was  often  very  roughly  treated, 
by  the  sons  of  Belial,  at  different  places  ;  all  of  which  this 
man  of  God  bore  with  Christian  patience  and  meekness. 
Although  he  was  in  narrow  circumstances,  he  used  when 
young,  to  devote  much  of  his  time  to  preaching ;  and 
being  much  respected  and  beloved,  he  was  an  instrument 
of  doing  much  good.  As  he  grew  older,  and  his  family 
larger,  he  found  it  necessary  to  limit  his  labours  chiefly 
to  his  own  and  the  adjacent  neighbourhoods.  He  was  still 
very  successful  in  turning  many  to  righteousness,  and  in 
confirming  the  souls  of  the  disciples.  Mr.  Webber  was 
a  man  of  talents,  though  not  in  the  pulpit  ;  for  there  he 
was  hardly  up  to  mediocrity.  He  was  a  man  of  sound 
and  correct  judgment,  well  acquainted  with  mankind, 
well  versed  in  the  Scriptures,  well  instructed  in  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  gospel,  and  ingenious  in  defending  them 
against  error.  As  a  companion,  he  was  remarkably 
agreeable ;  for  he  was  pleasant  and  cheerful,  yet  without 
levity.  His  conversation  was  chiefly  upon  the  subject  of 
religion,  to  which  he  had  a  turn  for  directing  the  atten- 
tion of  his  company,  without  permitting  it  to  be  irksome. 
In  his  church,  he  was  greatly  beloved  by  his  members, 
and  all  who  knew  him.  He  was  remarkably  plain,  both 


Biography  of  Peter  Werden*  401 

in  his  dress  and  manners.  His  chief  excellency,  how- 
ever, was  in  Associations  and  publick  bodies.  He  was 
made  moderator  of  the  General  Association,  as  early  as 
the  year  1778  ;  and  although  there  were  many  older 
ministers  than  himself,  for  several  years  after,  yet  he  sel- 
dom attended  an  Association  or  General  Committee,  but 
he  was  placed  in  the  chair.  His  address,  either  in  the 
chair  or  out  of  it,  was  far  from  being  accomplished.  But 
still  he  was  preferred  before  men  of  far  more  refined  pow- 
ers, on  account  of  his  soft,  yet  manly,  affectionate,  and 
unaffected  method.  It  is  likely,  that  less  affectation  was 
never  in  any  man  than  in  William  Webber.  You  always 
saw  him  in  his  true  colours.  About  the  year  1799,  he 
had  a  long  and  distressing  sickness,  which  had  well  nigh 
brought  him  to  his  grave.  He  did,  however,  recover ; 
but  his  constitution  was  so  shaken,  that  he  was  never  as 
healthy  afterwards.  He  recovered  so  far  as  to  go  out 
some  small  distance  from  home  ;  but  relapsing,  he  linger- 
ed for  some  months ;  and  on  the  29th  day  of  February, 
1 80S,  he  yielded  to  the  king  of  terrors,  but  who  had 
lost  his  terror  as  to  him.  In  his  last  illness,  he  enjoyed 
great  religious  consolation,  and  said  to  Elder  Watkins  of 
Powhatan,  a  little  time  before  his  death,  "  Brother  Wat- 
kins,  I  never  had  so  glorious  a  manifestation  of  the  love 
of  God  in  all  my  life,  as  I  have  had  since  my  sickness. 
O,  the  love  of  God  !"  Semple. 


PETER  WERDEN  was  born  June  6th,  1 728,  and  ordain- 
ed to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  at  Warwick,  Rhode- 
Island,  May,  1751,  in  the  24th  year  of  his  age. 

When  he  first  began  to  preach,  he  was  too  much  of  a 
New-Light,  and  too  strongly  attached  to  the  doctrine  of 
salvation  by  sovereign  grace>  to  be  generally  received  among 
the  old  Baptist  churches  in  Rhode-Island,  which  had  been 
formed  partly  upon  the  Arminian  plan,  until  the  follow- 
ing event  opened  the  door  for  him  : 

A  criminal,  by  the  name  of  Carter,  was  executed  at 
Tower-Hill,  and  the  scene  of  his  execution  collected  abun- 
dance of  people  from  all  parts  of  the  State.*1  While  the 
criminal  stood  under  the  gallows,  young  Werden  felt 
such  a  concern  for  his  soul,  that  he  urged  his  way  through 

VOL.  2.  51 


402  Biography  of  Peter  Werden. 

the  crowd  ;  and  being  assisted  by  the  sheriff,  he  gained 
access  to  him,  and  addressed  him  as  follows  :  "  Sir,  is 
your  soul  prepared  for  that  awful  eternity,  into  which 
you  will  launch  in  a  few  minutes  ?"  The  criminal  repli- 
ed, "  I  don't  know  that  it  is,  but  I  wish  you  would  pray 
for  me."  In  this  prayer,  Mr.  Werden  was  so  wonder- 
fully assisted  in  spreading  the  poor  man's  cause  before 
the  throne  of  God,  that  the  whole  assembly  were  awfully 
solemnized,  and  most  of  them  wet  their  cheeks  with  their 
tears.  This  opened  a  great  door  for  his  ministrations, 
both  on  the  maine  and  on  the  island.  He  preached  at 
Warwick,  Coventry,  and  many  other  places,  with  good 
success,  about  19  years,  and  then  moved,  in  1770,  into 
the  town  of  Cheshire,  in  Berkshire  county,  Massachu- 
setts, where  he  lived  and  administered  almost  38  years. 

In  his  first  religious  exercises,  he  was  led  to  dig  deep 
into  his  own  heart,  where  he  found  such  opposition  and 
rebellion,  that  when  he  obtained  pardon,  he  attributed 
it  to  sovereign  grace  alone ;  which  sentiment,  so  inter- 
woven in  his  soul,  he  ever  proclaimed  aloud  to  a  dying 
world.  Nothing  appeared  to  be  more  disgustful  to  his 
mind,  than  to  hear  works  and  grace  mixed  together,  as 
the  foundation  of  a  sinner's  hope.  To  hold  forth  the 
Lamb  of  God  as  a  piece  of  a  Saviour  ;  or  to  consider  the 
self-exertions  of  a  natural  man,  to  be  the  way  into  Christ, 
the  true  and  only  ivay,  were  extremely  displeasing  to  that 
soul  of  his,  which  delighted  so  much  in  proclaiming  eter- 
nal love,  redeeming  blood,  and  matchless  grace. 

Sound  judgment,  correct  principles,  humble  demeanor, 
with  solemn  sociability,  marked  all  his  publick  improve- 
ments, and  mingled  with  all  his  conversation  in  smaller 
circles,  or  with  individuals.  In  him  young  preachers 
found  a  father  and  a  friend  ;  distressed  churches,  a  healer 
of  breaches ;  and  tempted  souls,  a  sympathizing  guide. 
From  his  first  settling  in  Cheshire,  until  he  was  70  years 
old,  he  wa.s  a  father  to  the  Baptist  churches  in  Berkshire 
county  and  its  environs,  and  in  some  sense  an  apostle  to 
them  all. 

His  many,  painful  labours  for  the  salvation  of  sinners, 
the  peace  of  the  churches,  and  the  purity  of  the  ministers, 
will  never  be  fully  appreciated,  until  the  time  when  he 
shall  stand  before  his  Judge,  and  hear  the  words  of  his 
mouth,  "  Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant." 


Biography  of  Peter  Werden.  403 

From  the  sternness  of  his  eyes  and  blush  of  his  face, 
a  stranger  would  have  been  led  to  conclude,  that  he  was 
sovereign  and  self-willed  in  his  natural  habit  of  mind  ; 
but  on  acquaintance,  the  physiognomist  would  have  been 
agreeably  disappointed.  He  had  so  much  self-govern- 
ment, that  he  has  been  heard  to  say,  that  (except  when 
he  had  the  small-pox,)  he  never  found  it  hard  to  keep 
from  speaking  at  any  time,  if  his  reason  told  him  it  \vas 
best  to  forbear  ;  and  no  man  possessed  liner  feelings,  or 
treated  the  characters  of  others  with  more  delicacy  than 
he  did.  He  had  an  exalted  idea  of  the  inalienable  rights 
of  conscience  ;  justly  appreciated  the  civil  rights  of  man, 
and  was  assiduous  to  keep  his  brethren  from  the  chains 
of  ecclesiastical  power. 

His  preaching  was  both  sentimental  and  devotional ; 
and  his  life  so  far  corresponded  with  the  precepts  which 
he  taught,  that  none  of  his  hearers  could  justly  reply, 
"  Physician,  heal  thyself." 

He  had  the  happiness  of  having  a  number  of  revivals 
in  the  town  and  congregation  where  he  resided  and 
preached,  and  a  number  of  ministers  were  raised  up  in 
the  church  of  which  he  was  pastor. 

For  about  ten  years  before  his  death  his  bodily  and 
mental  powers  had  been  on  the  decline,  and  he  was  often 
heard  to  rejoice,  that  others  increased  though  he  decreas- 
ed ;  but  his  superannuation  was  not  so  great,  as  to  pre- 
vent the  whole  of  his  usefulness  ;  and  his  hoary  head 
was  a  crown  of  glory  unto  him. 

A  number  of  times  he  was  heard  to  pray  that  he  might 
not  outlive  his  usefulness,  which  was  remarkably  answer- 
ed in  his  case,  for  the  Lord's-day  before  he  died  he  preach- 
ed  to  the  people  of  his  charge. 

The  disease  which  closed  his  mortal  life,  denied  his 
friends  the  pleasure  of  catching  the  balm  of  life  from  his 
lips,  in  his  last  moments.  He  had  finished  his  work  be- 
fore, and  nothing  remained  for  him  to  do,  but  to  die. 

Let  the  inhabitants  of  Cheshire,' (said  Mr.  John  Leland, 
his  biographer,  and  who  exhibited  the  above  at  the  close 
of  the  sermon  which  he  preached  at  his  funeral)  reflect 
a  moment  on  the  dealings  of  God  towards  them.  With- 
in about  three  years,  three  ministers,  belonging  to  the 
town,  have  departed  this  life.  The  pious  Mason  took 
the  lead ;  the  pleasing  Covell  followed  after  j  and  novr 


404  Biography  of  John  Williams. 

(1808)  the  arduous  Werdcn,  who  has  been  in  the  minis- 
try a  longer  term  than  any  Baptist  preacher  left  behind, 
in  New-England,  has  finished  his  course,  in  the  8Oth 
year  of  his  age  ;  while  Leland  remains  alone,  to  raise  this 
monument  over  their  tomb. 


JOHN  WILLIAMS  was  born  in  the  county  of  Hanover, 
Virginia,  1747.  He  was  of  a  very  respectable  family, 
and  received  a  tolerable  education.  In  the  month  of 
June,  1769,  when  acting  as  a  sheriff  of  Lunenburgh,  he 
was  awakened  to  know  and  to  feel  his  sin  and  his  dan- 
ger. He  became  a  convert,  and  shortly  after  lifted  up 
his  voice  to  exhort  his  fellow-men  to  flee  from  the  wrath 
to  come.  He  was  not  baptized  until  the  first  Sabbath  in 
February,  1770.  He  continued  to  exhort,  until  some 
time  in  the  following  summer,  when  he  ventured  to 
take  a  text,  and  from  that  time  commenced  preacher. 
December,  1772,  he  was  ordained  to  the  ministry,  and 
took  the  care  of  Meherrin  church.  His  gifts,  at  first, 
were  far  from  being  auspicious.  Many  pronounced  that 
he  would  never  be  a  preacher ;  so  delusory  are  the  first 
efforts  of  the  mind. 

He  not  only  succeeded  in  becoming  a  preacher,  but  in 
becoming  a  first-rate  preacher,  at  least  in  the  estimation 
of  most  of  his  acquaintances. 

He  was  exceeding  fond  of  reading  and  writing,  and 
indeed  was  generally  studious ;  by  which  means  he  great- 
ly improved  his  mind. 

"When  he  first  commenced  preacher  he  was  zealous, 
active,  and  laborious  in  the  ministry ;  travelling  and 
propagating  the  gospel  in  different  parts.  He  may  well 
be  numbered  among  the  fathers  of  Israel.  His  talent, 
however,  was  not  employed  so  much  in  breaking  down 
the  bars  of  prejudice  in  new  and  unenlightened  places,  as 
in  directing  and  regulating  young  converts  when  gath- 
ered by  others.  Pleasing,  affable,  and  refined  in  his  man- 
ners, his  hand  was  employed  to  smooth  off  some  of  those 
protuberances  left  by  rougher  workmen.  In  Associations 
he  was  expert  with  his  pen,  as  well  as  wise  to  offer  coun- 
sel. He  acted  as  clerk  to  the  General  Association  ;  and 
when  they  divided  the  Association  into  districts,  a  unani- 
mous vote  of  thanks  was  offered  Mr.  W.  for  his  faith- 


Biography  of  John  Williams.  40 .5 

ful  and  skilful  services  in  that  capacity.  Ho  also  dis- 
charged the  duties  of  clerk  to  the  Roanoke  Association 
until  a  little  time  previous  to  his  death.  He  introduced 
several  excellent  regulations  both  into  the  General  and 
Roanoke  Associations, for  the  government  of  churches,  &c. 
Few  men  understood  church  discipline  better,  or  were 
more  successful  in  building  up  large  respectable  churches, 
wherever  he  attended.  For  many  years  he  acted  as 
pastor  to  four  churches,  whom  he  attended  monthly. 
He  was  in  high  estimation  both  as  a  man  and  a  minister. 
Even  the  enemies  of  the  Baptists  would  often  except 
Mr.  W.  from  their  reproaches.  In  his  temper  towards 
those  of  other  religious  persuasions,  he  was  remarkably 
liberal.  Indeed,  by  some  of  his  acquaintances  it  is  said 
he  was  friendly  to  open  communion  ;  but  that  he  was 
restrained  from  putting  it  in  practice,  by  his  tenderness 
for  his  brethren,  most  of  whom  differed  with  him  on  this 
head.  This  liberality  of  spirit  did  not  prevent  him  from 
maintaining  his  own  principles  with  great  firmness,  when- 
ever an  occasion  offered.  It  was  such  an  occasion 
as  this,  which  drew  forth  his  reply  to  Mr.  Patilloe's* 
sermon  on  infant  baptism.  He  committed  his  arguments 
to  writing,  with  an  intention  of  printing  them  in  the 
form  of  a  pamphlet ;  but  as  nothing  came  out  on  the 
other  side,  and  as  so  much  had  been  already  published 
on  that  subject,  it  was  not  put  to  the  press. 

In  his  preface,  he  makes  the  following  remark : 

"  I  hope  I  have  sufficiently  demonstrated  to  my  coun- 
trymen, for  a  series  of  years,  that  I  am  not  overbearing 
on  others,  or  bigotted  to  my  own  principles  which  are  not 
essential  to  salvation  ;  but  have  uniformly  endeavoured  to 
promote  a  catholick  spirit,  with  peace  and  concord,  in  the 
Israel  of  God.  But,  nevertheless,  I  am  set  for  the  defence 
of  the  gospel ;  and  as  such,  circumstances  often  occur, 
that  involuntarily  lead  me  forth  to  contend  for  the  faith 
and  order  of  Christ's  church." 

He  was  generally  upon  the  best  terms  with  the  Presby- 
terians, who  were  pretty  numerous  in  his  neighbourhood. 

His  talents,  if  not  equal  to  any,  were  certainly  very 
little  inferior  to  those  of  the  first  grade. 

His  appearance' in  the  pulpit  was  noble  and  majestick, 
yet  humble  and  affectionate.  In  the  beginning  of  his 
•  \  eettebrated  Prfcsbylcilan  preacher. 


406  Biography  of  John  Williams. 

discourses,  he  was  doctrinal  and  somewhat  methodical ; 
often  very  deep,  even  to  the  astonishment  of  his  hearers. 
Towards  the  close,  and  indeed  sometimes  throughout 
his  sermon,  he  was  exceedingly  animating.  His  exhorta- 
tions were  often  incomparable. 

At  an  early  period  he  became  very  corpulent.  At  an 
Association,  in  the  year  1793,  he  accidentally  fell,  by  the 
turning  of  a  step,  as  he  was  passing  out  of  a  door,  and 
became  for  a  year  or  two  a  cripple  ;  being  under  the 
necessity  of  going  on  crutches.  Notwithstanding  this,  he 
would  frequently  go  in  a  carriage  to  meeting,  and  preach, 
sitting  in  a  chair  in  the  pulpit.  During  several  of  the 
last  years  of  his  life,  he  was  afflicted  with  a  very  painful 
disease.  Under  his  severe  suffering,  he  was  not  only 
patient,  but  when  he  could  have  any  mitigation  of  his 
pain,  he  was  also  cheerful.  About  ten  days  before  his 
dead),  he  was  attacked  by  a  pleurisy ;  from  which  no 
medicine  could  give  him  relief.  His  work  was  finished, 
and  his  Master  had  called  for  him.  On  the  30th  day  of, 
April,  1795,  he  fell  asleep. 

Nothing  very  remarkable  transpired  at  his  death.  He 
was  pensive  and  silent.  He  told  his  wife,  that  to  live  or  die 
was  to  him  indifferent :  he  had  committed  this  to  God,  who, 
he  knew,  would  do  right.  He  said  he  felt  some  anxie- 
ty for  his  numerous  family  ;  but  that  these,  also,  he  was 
willing  to  trust  in  the  hands  of  a  gracious  Providence. 

January,  1 768.  he  was  married  to  Miss  Frances  Hughes, 
of  Powhatan  county,  by  whom  he  had  14  children  ;  of 
whom  1 1  were  living  at  the  time  of  his  death ;  and  of  these, 
four  professed  religion,  and  were  baptized.  Ssmple* 

[it/*  There  have  been  many  other  eminent  characters  in  the  Bafitist  con- 
nexion, who  ought  to  have  a  place  among  the  worthies  oj  their  host  ;  but,  for 
wanf  of  some  one  to  record  their  history,  their  names  are  either  sunk,  or  are 

fast  sink  ng  into  forgetfulness.  Our  brethren,  in  many  instances,  have  been 
strangely  neglectful  of  their  departed  friends.  1  'hey  have  conducted  as  though 
they  supposed  every  body  knew  their  worth,  end  that  it  was  therefore  un- 
necessary to  write  any  thing  respecting  them. 

The  Author  of  this  work  has  for  a  number  of  years  had  it  in  view,  at  some 

future  period,  should  his  life  be  continued,  to  prepare  one  altogether  biograph- 
ical;  which  will  contain  not  only  the  lives,  but  the  likenesses  of  many  Baptist 
characters  of  distinction,  both  European  and  American.  Those  who  mail  feel 
interested  in  prtserving  the  hi&tonj  and  rtficniNances  of  tlieir  departtd. 

friends,  are  desired  to  ketp,  this  suggestion  in  mind.} 


Churches  holding  to  Weekly  Communion.  407 

CHAP.   XVIII. 

CONTAINING  AN  ACCOUNT  OF  A  NUMBER  OF  BAPTIST  COMMU- 
NITIES, WHO  DIFFER  FROM  THE  MAIN  BODY  OF  THE  DENOM- 
INATION, AND  WHO  ARE  ALSO  DISTINGUISHED  BY  SOM* 
PECULIARITIES  OF  THEIR  OWN. 

Churches  which  hold  to  Weekly  Communion. 

THE  practice  of  administering  the  Lord's  Supper  every  first  day  of 
the  week,  has  never  prevailed  much  among  the  American  Baptists. 
The  old  church,  at  Sandy-Creek,  North  Carolina,  was  for  some  years 
on  that  plan,  but  it  has  now  given  it  up. 

A  few  years  since,  a  number  of  ministers  came  over  from  Scotland 
to  America,  in  the  character  of  missionaries  of  the  Independent  persua- 
sion, and  some  of  them  were  patronized  by  the  liberal  Robert  Haldane, 
Esq.  of  Edinburgh.  These  missionaries,  after  travelling  a  short  time, 
in  different  parts  of  the  United  States,  were  led  to  embrace  the  Baptist 
sentiments,  and  from  Pedobaptist  became  Baptist  ministers.  Mr. 
Walter  Balfour  was  baptized  by  Mr.  Collier  of  Charlestown,  near 
Boston  ;  Mr.  Archibald  Maclay  by  Mr.  Williams  of  New-York  ;  Mr. 
James  Graham,  now  of  Beaufort,  South-Carolina,  by  the  same  admin- 
istrator in  New- York  ;  Mr.  James  M'Pherson,  now  of  Baltimcre,  was 
baptized  by  Mr.  Joseph  B.  Cook,  then  of  Beaufort,  South-Carolina. 
These  baptisms  all  took  place  about  1 809.  Some  other  Pedobaptist 
ministers  came  over  to  the  Baptists  about  the  same  time,  and  they  were, 
peihaps,  too  much  elated  at  these  accessions  to  their  cause.  But  it  was 
soon  found,  that  most  of  the  Scotch  ministers  were,  notwithstanding  their 
becoming  of  the  Baptist  persuasion,  far  from  uniting  in  their  connexion, 
The  Independents  in  Scotland  generally,  if  not  uniformly,  practise 
weekly  communion;  and  of  this  point,  and  some  others,  these  new 
converts  to  believers'  baptism  were  peculiarly  tenacious.  Mr.  Balfour 
gathered  a  small  church  in  Boston  and  Charlestown,  to  which  he  still 
ministers  ;  but  his  success  in  building  up  a  separate  interest,  has  not 
been  so  great  as  his  talents  and  address  seemed  at  first  to  promise. 
An  account  of  Mr.  MacLiy's  successful  and  commendable  proceedings 
in  New- York  has  already  been  related.  The  church  which  he  found- 
ed, still  practises  weekly  communion  ;  but  it  is,  notwithstanding,  in  fel- 
lowship with  those  which  commune  but  monthly.  Mr.  M'Pherson 
gathered  a  church  in  Baltimore,  mostly  out  of  the  second  in  that  city, 
which  went  heartily  into  his  notions  of  communion  and  other  particu- 
lars respecting  the  order  of  the  house,  £c.  He  is  a  man  of  respecta? 
ble  talents,  and  seemed  to  promise  usefulness  as  a  minister  of  the 
word,  notwithstanding  his  dividing  measures  ;  but  to  the  grief  of  his 
friends,  he  has  lately  been  disowned  by  his  infant  church,  for  intemper- 
ance. Mr.  Graham  preached  a  while  in  Savannah,  Georgia ;  then  in 
Beaufort,  South-Carolina  ;  and  for  a  short  time  had  the  care  of  the 
church  in  that  place  ;  but  not  being  able  to  bring  it  to  his  views,  he 
formed  a  small  one  upon  his  own  plan.  How  large  it  is,  or  what  are 
its  circumstances,  I  have  not  learnt. 

The  labours  of  these  ministers,  together  with  some  writings,  which 
they  brought  from  Scotland,  seemed  at  first  to  threaten  innovation? 


498  Churches  holding  to  Weekly  Communion. 

among  the  American  churches  of  considerable  extent  ;  but  these  ap- 
pearances have,  in  a  great  measure,  subsided,  and  very  few  have  gone 
so  far  into  the  new  order  of  ths  house,  as  to  separate  from  their  respective 
connexions.  Some  few  churches,  however,  have  been  founded  by  the 
converts  to  weekly  communion,  plurality  of  Elders,  &.c. 

One  of  this  kind  was  formed  in  1809,  by  the  name  of  the  Second 
Baptist  Church  in  Charlestown.  Its  principal  teacher  is  Mr.  Oliver 
H olden,  a  native  of  New-England,  formerly  a  member  of  the  first 
church  in  that  town.  This  church  at  first  consisted  of  nine  members, 
but  has  since  increased  to  twenty-five.*  Three  have  been  added  by 
baptism,  and  thirteen  from  other  churches.  The  constituents  were  dis- 
missed, by  their  request,  from  the  first  church.  The  ostensible  reason 
for  asking  a  dismission,  (as  stated  by  themselves,)  was,  that  discipline 
was  not  maintained  so  strictly  as  they  desired,  or  as  the  church  acknowl- 
edged it  ought  to  be.  And  t;  despairing  of  seeing  the  church  brought 
to  resemble  the  Scripture  pattern,  and  desirous  of  reforming  them- 
selves," they,  at  their  request,  were  dimissed  for  that  purpose.  Their 
leading  views  in  this  measure,  and  their  distinguishing  sentiments,  are 
thus  stated  by  one  r.f  their  number: 

"  In  respect  to  the  difference  between  their  sentiments  and  those  of 
the  churches  from  whose  connexion  they  are  separated,  they  profess 
to  have  aimed  only  to  revive  the  Baptist  principles  recorded  in  the 
Scriptures  and  in  the  history  of  purer  ages,  and  not  to  innovate  in 
any  degree. 

"  They  disapprove  all  connexion  with  the  world,  in  the  support  of 
the  gospel,  and  with  other  churches  in  choosing  and  ordaining  Eiders. 
They  deny  that  present  ministers  are  successors  of  the  Apostles,  in 
the  sense  frequently  conveyed  on  baptismal  and  other  occasions  ;  and 
that  their  office,  as  teachers  and  rulers  in  the  church,  should  be  known 
by  any  distinction  in  dress  or  titles.  They  consider  it  their  duty  to 
commemorate  the  death  and  resurrection  of  Christ  every  first  day  of 
the  week ;  and  that  the  evening  of  that  day  (after  having  attended 
to  the  Lord's  Supper)  is  a  suitable  season  for  mutual  exhortation  and 
prayer.  And  they  profess  to  believe,  that  by  duly  regarding  primi- 
tive practices,  and  apostolical  injunctions,  they  shall  be  enabled  to 
walk  in  the  comfort  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  to  enjoy  the  essential 
blessing  of  a  spiritual  and  efficient  ministry. 

"  In  doctrine  they  profess  to  be  the  same  as  when  first  taught  by  the 
Holy  Ghost  to  call  Jesus  Lord,  wishing  for  no  change,  excepting  great- 
er discoveries  of  its  simplicity,  efficiency  and  glory. 

"  They  use  no  platform  of  church- government  bat  the  Scriptures, 
believing  that  a  greater  acquaintance  with  them  will  strengthen  their 
faith,  love,  and  veneration  for  the  adored  object  of  their  uniform  tes- 
timony. 

"  They  have  been  supposed  by  some  to  have  imbibed  Sandemanian 
notions  of  faith,  divine  influence,  religious  experience,  &c. ;  but  it  is  not 
true.  They  separated  from  the  first  church,  for  the  reasons  above 
mentiont  J  ;  but  they  have  neither  imbibed  new  sentiments,  nor  formed 
new  connexions.  They  profess  their  desire  to  "  stand  in  the  ways,  and 

One  has  been  excluded,  for  denying  the  self-ext&ter.ce  and  eternity  cf 


Churches  holding  to  Weekly  Communion.  409 

ml:  for  tie  old  paths,"  and  their  hope  that   God  will  enable  them  to 
"  walk  therein." 

The  reader  will  doubtless  wish  to  hear  the  other  side,  and  will  proba- 
bly suspect  that  the  real  cause  of  the  separation  has  not  been  disclosed.* 
This  church,  although  of  the  same  order  with  Mr.  Balfour's,  has  yet 
no  visible  fellowship  with  it. 

In  Hartford,  Connecticut,  a  small  church  has  been  formed  upon  the 
plan  of  weekly  communion,  by  Mr.  Henry  Grew,  formerly  pastor  of 
the  Baptist  church  in  that  city.  Mr.  Grew  is  a  native  of  England;  was, 
for  a  number  of  years,  a  citizen  of  Providence,  Rhode-Island,  and  was 
called  to  the  office  of  a  deacon  by  the  old  church  in  that  town,  at  the 
age  of  24.  Not  Jong  after  he  was,  by  the  same  church,  called  to  the 
ministry,  and  was,  a  year  or  two  after,  settled  in  the  pastoral  care  of 
the  church  in  Hartford.  His  ministry  here  was,  for  a  while,  prosper- 
ous and  happy,  and  his  separation  from  the  church  was  an  event  pecu- 
liarly painful  and  trying;  for  in  addition  to  the  maxims  of  the  Scotch 
brethren,  lie  imbibed  some  others,  which  were  not  only  new,  but  in 
the  estimation  of  his  brethren  unscriptural,  and  unbecoming  a  man  cf 
his  talents  and  discretion. 

Mr.  Grf-w  is,  by  all  who  know  him,  respected  for  his  gifts,  and  be- 
loved for  his  piety  ;  but  by  withdrawing  from  his  former  connexion, 
and  devoting  himself  exclusively  to  his  little  flock,  he  has  circumscri- 
bed his  sphere  of  usefulness  to  very  narrow  bounds. 

In  the  close  of  the  autumn  of  1 8 1  o,  a  church,  en  the  plan  of  week- 
ly communion,  was  formed  in  New-York,  under  the  ministry  of 
Messrs.  Errett  and  Ovington.  "  It  is  composed,"  as  they  say,  "  of 
persons  from  various  nations  under  heaven." — "  They  reject  all  hu- 
man creeds,  rules,  covenants,  &c.  thinking  the  Scriptures  perfect 
enough  for  direction  in  every  thing." — "  They  dislike  all  pompous  ed- 
ifices as  places  of  worship  ;  all  pulpits  or  placts  designed  for  t>e  exhi- 
bition of  the  clergy*  and  think  themselves  fully  accommodated  with  a 
place  of  worship  similar  to  those  of  the  first  churches.  Accordingly 
they  meet  at  present  in  a  rented  apartment,  No.  70,  Hudson-street, 
New  York,  where  those,  who  desire  to  see  what  cannot  be  seen  else- 
where, viz.  a  church  of  Christ  assembled  together,  may  resort  for  the 
satisfaction  of  their  minds,  their  queries,  or  curiosities.  Their  times  of 
meeting  are  the  first  day  of  the  week,  thrice,  and  Thursday  in  the 
evening.  And  they  have  appointed  i'uesday  evening,  for  preaching 
the  gospel  to  the  world. "f 

The  doctrinal  sentiments  of  these  Weekly  Communion  Baptists  are, 
probably,  somewhat  different.  Some  of  them  evidently  agree  with 
the  churches  from  which  they  have  separated.  Others  have  been  char- 
ged with  favouring  the  Sandemanian  system.  This  charge,  however, 
they  generally  deny.  In  their  maxims  of  discipline,  and  the  order  of 
their  house,  they  seem  to  pay  no  regard  to  uniformity,  and  I  know  not 
as  any  two  churches  of  them  see  alike,  or  maintain  a  visible  fellowship 
with  each  other.  Some  of  the  brethren  maintain  their  peculiar  opin- 
ions in  a  becoming  manner,  while  others  urge  their  punctilios  with 
such  a  canting  scrupulosity,  as  to  defeat,  in  most  cases,  their  own  prose- 
lyting intentions. 

*  See  the  jicconnt  of  the  Charlestown  Church,  Vol.  1. 

|  Essay  on  tlue  Constitutiou  of  Apnstolick  Churches,  p.  152. 

VOL.  2.  £2 


41 0  Arminiail  or  Tree-Will  Baptists. 

The  Baptist  churches  generally  throughout  the  United  States  cele- 
brate the  Lord's  Sapper  once  a  month  ;  in  some  few  cases  but  once 
in  two  or  three  months.  They  do  not  deny  the  lawfulness  of  weekly 
communion,  but  they  contend  that  it  is  not  necessary  for  the  gospel 
travel  of  a  church.  They  plead  that  the  frequency  of  attending  to 
this  solemn  rile  is  left  as  a  matter  of  discretion,  since  our  Saviour  has 
only  said,  As  oft  cs  y;  d'j  if,  Jo  It  in  rem:mlrance  of  me.  And  although 
it  is  cerr  an  that  the  disciples  met  on  the  first  day  of  the  week  to 
break  bread,  yet  th  it  it  is  not  certain  that  they  met  every  first  day 
for  thir  purpose.  They  would  freely  commune  with  baptized  believ- 
ers, v.'ho  nold  to  weekly  communion,  in  case  they  agreed  with  them,  in 
doctrine,  &c.  But  none  of  the  brethren  under  consideration,  except 
Mr.  M'Clay  and  his  church,  seem  disposed  to  commune  with  them. 

Armlnian  or  Free-Will  Baptists, 

FROM  nearly  thr  beginning  of  the  Baptists  in  America,  there  have 
been  some,  who  have  opposed  a  number  of  the  principal  articles  in 
the  C.iivinistick  creed.  For  a  long  time,  most  of  these  brethren  resided 
in  Rhode-Island  and  its  vicinity,  wh^re  their  history  has  been  related. 
For  some  years  there  were  many  of  those,  improperly  called  Separate 
Baptists,  in  Virginia,  and  the  more  southern  States,  who  were  called 
Araiinian?,  because  they  maintained,  that  by  the  sufferings  of  Christ, 
salvation  was  made  possible  for  every  individual  of  Adam's  ruined 
posterity.  The  issue  of  the  contest  on  this  point  may  be  found  under 
the  head  of  Virginia.  And  besides,  there  have  always  been  some 
churches  and  many  individuals,  who  have  objected  to  some  of  the 
strong  points  of  Calvinism,  or  adopted  them  with  some  peculiar  mod- 
ifications ;  but  no  very  considerable  party  of  this  character  arose,  un- 
til a  lit  J?  more  than  thirty  years  ago,  when  one  was  founded  by  El- 
der Benjamin  Randal,  of  New-Durham,  New- Hampshire.  This  Elder 
Randal,  as  his  biographer  observes,  was  led,  about  1780,  "to  object 
against  the  whole  doctrine  of  John  Cahin,vr'\th  respect  to  eternal,  par- 
ticular, personal,  unconditional  election  and  reprobation  ;  and  propa- 
gated the  following  maxims,  viz.  ist.  That  all  men  have  sinned  and 
come  short  of  the  glory  of  God.  zd.  That  Jetus  Christ  has  died  for 
all  men,  and,  by  the  grace  of  God,  hath  tasted  death  for  every  man. 
jd.  That  the  grace  of  God,  which  bringeth  salvation,  hath  appeared 
to  all  men.  4th.  That  Christ's  ministers  are  commanded  to  go  into 
all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature ;  and  that  he 
that  helieveth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved,  but  he  that  believeth 
not  shall  be  damned."* 

This  zealous  minister  was  assiduous  in  propagating  his  opinions, 
and  endeavouring  to  persuade  others  to  renounce,  what  he  used  to  call, 
the  hydra  monster  Calvinism.  A  number  soon  fell  in  with  his  views, 
bioke  off  from  the  Calvinistick  churches  in  New- Hampshire  and  the 
District  of  Maine,  and  from  a  small  beginning  they  have  arisen  to  a 
large  community,  which  i>  scattered  in  diiferent  parts  of  Maine,  New- 
Hampshire,  Vermont,  New- York,  the  Canadas,  and  in  some  other 
places. 

The  first  minister  who  united  with  Elder  Randal,  was  Pelatiah 
Tingley,  A.  M.  then  of  Sanford,  Maine.  He  is  a  native  of  Attlebo- 

*  Religious  Ma0uziiie,  p.  ?. 


Arminian  or  Free  Will- Baptists.  411 

rough,  Massachusetts,  a  .small  distance  from  Providence,  Rhode- Isl- 
and, was  a  graduate  of  the  College  in  that  town.  After  him,  Samuel 
Weeks  and  other  ministers  were  convinced  of  what  they  esteemed  the 
dangerous  errors  of  Calvinism,  and  united  in  Elder  Randal's  opposi- 
tion. This  party  was  as  strenuous  for  believers'  baptism  as  before ; 
they  were,  like  all  new  sects,  very  sanguine  in  their  new  discoveries, 
and  from  H  distinguished  article  in  their  doctrinal  system,  they  were 
denominated  Free-will  Baptists.  This  appellation  is  received  by  some 
of  the  community,  and  objected  to  by  others.  Of  late  years  they  seem 
to  prefer  denominating  themselves  simply  Christians,  and  their  church- 
es, Churches  of  Christ.  But  as  all,  who  make  a  religious  profession, 
account  themselves  Christians,  and  as  all  religious  bodies  profess  to 
be  churches  of  Christ,  these  terms  are  too  indefinite  for  an  historical 
narrative.  I  have  therefore  taken  the  liberty  of  applying  to  these 
people  the  name  by  which  they  are  generally  distinguished. 

Mr.  Randal,  their  founder,  is  said  to  have  been  very  successful  in 
his  ministry,  not  only  in  propagating  his  peculiar  opinions,  but  in  per- 
suading sinners  to  repent ;  he  was  also,  at  times,  much  opposed  in  his 
publick  ministrations  ;  but  this  increased  his  zeal,  and  under  him  and 
his  associates,  a  number  of  churches  shortly  arose.  The  one  at  New- 
Durham,  the  place  of  his  residence,  was  formed  in  1781  ;  this  church 
soon  became  large,  and  spread  her  branches  round  in  different  direc- 
tions ;  and  other  churches  at  Little-Falls,  Woolwich,  Georgetown, 
Edgcomb,  Little-River,  New-Gloucester,  and  Parsonsfield,  arose  not 
long  after  the  mother  body  was  founded.  These  Free-will  church- 
es soon  found  it  expedient  to  form  what  they  called  General  Meetings, 
which  they  held  at  different  places  once  a  quarter.  The  first  of  the 
kind  was  held  at  Phillipsburg,  Maine,  in  1783,  and  consisted  of  dele- 
gates  "  from  all  the  branches  of  the  little  brotherhood."  They  next 
proceeded  to  form  a  Yearly  Meeting,  which  was  composed  of  dele- 
gates from  each  quarterly  one ;  and  at  the  close  of  the  Yearly  Meet- 
ing is  held  the  Elders'  Conference,  in  which  all  the  Elders  meet  to 
consult  on  the  general  interests  of  their  community.  In  1810,  there 
were  among  these  people  six  Associations  or  Quarterly  Meetings,  viz. 
Goreham,  Edgcomb,  and  Farmington,  in  Maine ;  New-Durham,  in 
New-Hampshire,  and  Strafford  and  Hardwick,  in  Vermont.  In  the 
three  Meetings  in  Maine,  there  were,  at  that  time,  between  forty  and 
fifty  churches,  about  as  many  preachers,  and  upwards  of  two  thousand 
members  ;  and  it  is  probable  that  the  thiee  other  Quaiterly  Meetings 
were  as  large  if  not  larger  than  these. 

Mr.  John  Bu/zell,  of  Parsonsfield,  Maine,  a  preacher  in  this  connex- 
ion, began  in  181 1,  to  publish  a  periodical  work,  entitled,  A  Religious 
Magazine)  £3V.  which  was  to  contain  a  history  of  this  community. 
From  the  first  number  of  that  work  some  of  these  sketches  have  been 
selected.  Other  numbers  were  to  have  bc'en  forwarded,  but  for  some 
reason  they  have  not  come  to  hand  :  these  brief  hints,  must,  therefore, 
suffice  for  the  history  of  this  extensive  community. 

Mr.  Elias  Smith,  formerly  a  preacher  of  good  repute  in  the  Warren 
Association,  has,  within  a  few  years  past,  formed  a  party  of  consider- 
able extent  in  different  States,  which  are  sometimes  called  Smit/jitfs, 
but  more  generally  Chr'aluins,  which  last  name  their  founder  seems 
peculiarly  solicitous  of  m.-intaining.  Mr.  .c:mith  is  a  man  of  popular 


Seventh-Day  Baptists. 

talents,  but  unusually  changeable  in  his  religious  creed.  He  has  propa- 
gated, at  different  times,  Ca/vinism,  Universalism,  Arminian'nm,  Arianism, 
Soeimemitm,  and  other  isms  too  numerous  to  mention.  He  has  also  ad- 
vanced the  doctrine  or  the  annihilation  of  the  wicked  after  death.  He 
professes  to  explode  all  creeds  and  confessions,  and  denominates  him- 
self and  followers,  with  a  peculiar  emphasis,  Chr'ufians.  He  has  pub- 
lished a  multitude  of  books  to  defend  his  opinions,  or  rather  to  oppose 
those  of  all  others.  Many  have  become  his  disciples,  of  whom  some 
believe  more  and  some  less  of  his  changeable  opinions.  The  large 
church  in  Dartmouth,  Massachusetts,  consisting  of  about  six  hundred 
members,  has  been  dropped  from  the  Groton  Conference,  on  account 
of  their  adhering  to  this  singular  man.  A  number  of  other  chnrches 
of  different  Associations  have  been  shaken  and  diminished,  by  the  too 
successful  exertions  of  him  and  his  associates.  Many,  doubtless,  have 
fallen  into  his  train,  who,  with  better  leaders  or  less  leading,  would 
have  acted  a  more  becoming  part.  Among  the  Free-will  Baptists,  Mr. 
Smith  was,  in  many  places,  very  cordially  received  ;  for  he  is  as  stren- 
uous as  ever  for  believers'  baptism,  although  he  is  constantly  belabour- 
ing the  Baptists,  both  from  the  pulpit  and  press.  But  the  Free-will 
brethren,  finding  him  expert  at  brow-beating  Calvinism,  were  ambitious 
cf  placing  him  among  the  champions  of  their  cause.  He  was  the 
means  of  introducing  some  innovations  amongst  them,  both  as  it  re- 
spects doctrine  and  discipline  ;  but  whether  they  still  listen  to  his  instruc- 
tions, I  have  not  learnt.  Mr.  Smith  has  been  a  few  years  in  Philadel- 
phia, where  he  founded  a  small  church,  which  has  lately  published  a 
pamphlet,  containing  a  number  of  very  severe  strictures  uponthis  con- 
duct j  and  he  is  now  about  settling  again  in  New-Lngland. 

Seventh-Day  Baptists. 

As  the  brethren  of  this  sentiment  are  not  numereus,  we  shall,  under 
this  head,  give  a  brief  sketch  of  their  history  both  in  Europe  and  Amer- 
ica. The  Sabbatarians  differ  from  the  Baptists  generally  in  no  other 
article  but  that  of  the  Sabbath.  And  upon  that  subject,  as  near  as  I 
can  understand  from  their  writings  and  conversation,  they  hold  that 
the  ten  commandments  are  all  still  binding  on  Christians,  and  of  course, 
that  the  Seventh  day  of  the  week  instead  of  the  First,  ought  ro  be  ob- 
served as  the  Christian  Sabbath  ;  that  there  is  no  account  in  the  New- 
Testament,  that  there  ever  has  been,  by  divine  appointment,  a  change 
of  the  Sabbath  ;  and  that  it  is  inconsistent  for  Christians  to  profess  to 
obey  the  ten  commandments,  and  still  make  an  exception  of  the  fourth, 
which  contains  the  solemn  requisition,  Remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep 
it  holy,  &c.  They  plead  that  it  was  designed  by  the  Former  of  the 
Universe,  that  the  Seventh  day  should  be  observed  as  the  Sabbath,  or 
day  of  rest,  from  the  creation  to  the  end  cf  the  world.  They  also 
contend,  that  whatever  respect  the  early  Christians  paid  to  the  First 
day  of  die  week,  on  account  of  the  resurrection  of  the  Saviour,  yet 
that  they  then,  and  in  after  ages,  observed  the  ancient  Sabbath,  and 
that  this  practice  of  observing  two  days,  was  continued  to  the  time  of 
Constantine,  when,  by  an  imperial  law,  the  First  day  was  established 
in  preference  to  the  Seventh  ;  and  that  from  that  period  the  observa- 
tion of  the  Seventh  day  fell  generally  into  disuse.  They  suppose, 


Seventh-Day  Baptists.  4-13 

however,  that  there  have  been  Christians  in  every  age,  who  have  kept 
holy  the  Seventh  day,  but  they  do  not  pretend  that  they  can  prove  this 
point  by  historical  evidence.  The  followirtg  passage  seems  much  to 
their  purpr.se,  and  is  the  only  one  of  the  kind  which  I  have  met  with 
in  history  : 

"  It  was  Constantino  the  Great,  who  first  made  a  law  for  the  observa- 
tion of  Sunday  ;  and  who,  according  to  Eusebius,  appointed  it  should 
be  regularly  celebrated  throughout  the  Roman  Empire.  Before  him, 
and  even  in  his  time,  they  observed  the  Jewish  Sabbath  as  well  as 
Sunday,  both  to  satisfy  the  law  of  Moses  and  to  imitate  the  Apostles, 
•who  used  to  meet  together  on  the  First  day.  Indeed,  some  are  of 
opinion,  that  the  Lord's  day,  mentioned  in  the  Apocalypse,  is  our 
Sunday,  which  they  will  have  to  have  been  so  early  instituted  by  the 
Apostles.  Be  this  as  it  will,  it  is  certain  a  regard  was  had  to  this  day, 
even  in  the  earliest  a^es  of  the  church,  as  appears  from  the  first  Apol- 
ogy of  Justin  Martyr,  where  he  describes  the  exercise  of  the  day  not 
much  unlike  to  ours. 

"  By  Constantine's  law,  made  in  321,  it  was  decreed,  that  for  the 
futuie,  the  Sunday  should  be  kept  a  day  of  rest  in  all  cities  and  towns  ; 
but  he  allowed  the  country  people  to  follow  their  work.  In  538,  the 
Council  of  Orleans  prohibited  this  country  labour  ;  but  in  regard  there 
were  still  abundance  of  Jews  in  the  Gauls,  and  that  the  people  gave 
in  to  a  good  many  superstitious  usages  in  the  celebration  of  the  new 
Sabbath,  like  those  of  the  Jews  among  that  of  the  old,  the  Council 
declares,  that  to  hold  it  unlawful  to  travel  with  horses,  cattle,  and  carri- 
ages, to  prepare  foods,  or  to  do  any  thing  necessary  to  the  cleanliness 
and  decency  of  houses  or  persons,  savours  more  of  Judaism  than 
Christianity."* 

Mcsheim  makes  mention  of  some  Christians  in  the  second  century, 
•who  assembled  on  the  Seventh  day  for  worship,  but  he  also  intimates 
that  the  greater  part  met  on  the  First  day.  We  find  that  the  Walden- 
ses  were  sometimes  called  Insabathos,  that  is,  regardless  of  Sabbaths. 
Mr.  Milnerf  supposes  this  name  was  given  to  them,  because  they 
observed  not  the  Romish  festivals,  and  rested  from  their  ordinary  occu- 
pations only  on  Sundays.  A  Sabbatarian  would  suppose  that  it  was 
because  they  met  for  worship  on  the  Seventh  day,  and  did  regard  not 
the  First  day  Sabbath. 

Robinson  gives  an  account  of  some  of  the  Waldenses  of  the  Alps, 
who  were  called  Salbati,  Sabbatali,  Insaibatatiy  but  more  frequently  In- 
xabbatati.  "  One  says  they  were  so  named  from  the  Hebrexv  word 
Sabbath,  because  they  kept  the  Saturday  for  the  Lord's  day.  Another 
says  they  were  so  called  because  they  rejected  all  the  festivals,  or  Sab- 
baths, in  the  low  Latin  sense  of  the  word,  which  the  Catholicks  reli- 
giously observed.":}:  Mosheim  informs  us  they  were  so  called  from 
their  weaung  wooden  shoes,  which,  in  the  French  language,  are  termed 
Sabats,  which  had  imprinted  on  them  the  sign  of  the  cross,  to  distin- 
guish them  from  other  Christians,  &c.  §  "  But  is  it  likely,"  says  Rob- 
iuson,  "  that  people  who  could  not  deiceud  from  their  mountains  intw 

*  Chambers'  Dictionary  n  Arts  rmd.  Sciences,  Article  Sunday. 
f  Church  Hlatciy,  Yc !.  Hi.  p.  423. 

p.  '~&\  >  Vol.  in.  p.  ll~. 


414  Seventh-Day  Baptists  in  England. 

neighbouring  States  without  hazarding  their  lives  through  the  furious 
zeal  of  inquisitors,  should  tempt  danger  by  affixing  a  visible  mark  on 
their  sh^es  ?  Besides,  the  shoe  of  the  peasants  in  tnis  country  was  called 
Abarca."  It  is  the  opinion  of  this  writer,  that  the  meaning  of  Insab- 
batati  was,  inhabitants  of  hills,  mountaineers,  &c.*  But  after  all,  there 
appears  to  be  a  peculiar  obscurity  attending  the  history  of  these  people, 
and  every  one  must  form  his  opinion  for  himself  respecting  them.  It 
is  evident  that  they  were  numerous,  and  were  terribly  harassed  by  the 
Romish  inquisitors.  The  following  oath  was  required  of  those,  who 
were  suspected  of  their  heresy.  <;  I,  Sancho,  swear  by  Almighty  God, 
and  by  these  holy  gospels  of  God,  which  I  hold  in  my  hand,  before 
you  lord  Garcia  Archbishop,  and  before  others  your  assistants,  that 
I  am  not,  nor  ever  have  been,  an  Inzabbatate  Waldense,  or  poor  person 
of  Lyons,  or  an  heretick  of  any  sect  of  heresy  condemned  by  the  church ; 
nor  do  I  believe,  nor  have  1  ever  believed,  their  errors,  nor  will  I  be- 
lieve them  in  any  future  time  of  my  life.  Moreover,  I  profess. and 
protest,  that  I  do  believe,  and  that  I  will  always  hereafter  believe,  the 
Catholick  faith,  which  the  Apostolical  church  of  Rome  publickly  holds, 
teaches,  and  preaches,  and  you,  my  lord  Archbishop,  and  other  pre- 
lates of  the  Cathclick  church  publickly  hold,  preach,  and  teach/'f 

Mosheim  gives  an  account  of  another  sect  in  the  twelfth  century, 
in  Lombardy,  who  were  called  Peungln'ians,  or  the  circumcised ;  that 
they  circumcised  cheir  followers,  and  celebrated  the  Jewish  Sabbath.J 
The  account  of  their  practising  circumcision  is  undoubtedly  a  slander- 
ous story  forged  by  their  enemies,  and  probably  arose  in  this  way. 
Because  they  observed  the  Seventh  day,  they  were  called,  by  way  of 
derisionr  Jews,  a5  the  Sabbatarian*  are  frequently  at  this  day;  and  if 
they  were  Jews,  it  followed  of  course,  that  they  eithsr  did  or  ought  to 
circumcise  their  followers.  This  was  probably  the  reasoning  of  their 
enemies  ;  but  that  they  actually  practised  the  bloody  rite,  is  altogether 
improbable,  kobinson  supposes  that  these  Pasaginians  were  a  branch 
of  the  Waldenses,  and  were  so  called  from  their  living  near  the  pas~ 
sages  of  the  mountains  § 

These  are  a  few  of  the  historical  facts,  which  lie  scattered  on  the 
pages  of  ecclesiastical  history,  respecting  the  people,  who  have  obser- 
ved the  ancient  Sabbath.  We  have  seen  in  the  history  of  Transylva- 
nia, that  Francis  Davidis,  first  chaplain  to  the  court  of  Sigismund, 
the  prince  of  that  kingdom,  and  afterwards  superintendant  of  all  the 
Transylvanian  churches,  was  of  this  opinion. 

We  shall  now  proceed  to  some  brief  sketches  of  the  history  of  the 
Sabbatarians  in  England  and  America. 

Seventh-Day  baptists  in  England. 

AT  what  time  the  Seventh-day  Baptists  began  to  form  churches  in 
this  kingdom  does  not  appear  ;  but  probably  it  was  at  an  early  period  ; 
and  although  their  churches  have  never  been  numerous,  yet  there  have 
been  among  them,  almost  fortwo  hundred  years  past,  some  very  emi- 
nent men.  The  famous  family  of  the  Stennetts,  for  three  generations 

*  Researches,  p.  304.  -  Ibid.   p.  323. 

4  Vol.  iii.  p.  123.  ^  Researches,  p.  305. 


Seventh-Day  Baptists  in  England.  415 

at  least,  xvcre  of  this  belief,  as  were  a  number  of  other  distinguished 
members  of  the  Baptist  community.  Of  a  few  of  these  characters  we 
shall  now  give  some  brief  account. 

Edward   Stenuett  is  the  first   of  the  family  of  which  we  have  any 
information.     The  time  or  place  of  his  birth  does  not  appear,  but  it  is 
probable  he  was  born  in  the  early  part  of  the  sixteenth  century.      In 
the  time  of  the  civil  wars  he  took  the  side  of    Parliament,  and  thereby 
exposed  himself  to  the  neglect  of  his  near  relations.     When   he  dis- 
sented  from   the  established  church  and  united  with  the   Baptists,  lie, 
like  all  others  of  those  times,  fell  under  the  oppressions  of  the  ru- 
ling party  ;  and  being  deprived  of  the  means  of  subsistence,  he  applied 
himself  to  the  study  of  physiok,  and  became  a  medical  character  of  some 
distinction.     One  very  singular  escape  from  the  malicious  designs  of 
his  enemies   is  thus  related  by  Crosby  : — "  He  dwelt  in   tire  castle 
of  Wallingford,  a  place   where  no.  warrant  could   make  forcible  en- 
trance, but  that  of  a  lord  chief  justice  ;  and  the  house  was   so   situ- 
ated,  that  assemblies  could   meet,   and  every  p-irt  of  religious   wor- 
ship  be  exercised   in   it,   without  any  danger  of  a  legal  conviction, 
unless   informers  were  admitted,   which  care  was  taken  to  prevent  ; 
so  that  for  a  long  time  he  kept   a  constant  and  undisturbed    meet- 
ing  in  his  hall.      A  gentleman  who  was  in  the  commission  of  the 
ptace,  and  his  very  near   neighbour,  being  highly  incensed  at  the  con- 
tinuance of  an  assembly  of  this  kind  so  near  him ;  after  having  made 
several  fruitless  attempts  to  get  his  emissaries  admitted  into  the  house 
in  order  to  a  conviction,  in  the  rage  of  a  disappointment   resolved,  to- 
gether with   a  neighbouring   clergyman,  upon   doing  it  by  a  subor- 
nation of  witnesses.     They   accordingly  hired  some  persons  fit  for 
their  purpose,  to  swear  they  had  been  at  those  assemblies,  and  heard 
prayer  and  preaching  there,  though  they  had  never  been  in  the  home- 
on  those  occasions.     The  clergyman's  conduct  in  this  affair  was  the 
more   censured,  because  he  had  professed  u  great  friendship  for 
Stennett,  and  was  under  considerable  obligations  to  him  ;  having  often 
had  his  assistance  in  the  way  of  his  profession  as  a  physician,  for  hi:; 
family,  without  any  reward.     Mr.  Steunett  finding  an  indictment  wa: 
laid  against   him  on  the   conventicle  act,  founded  upon  the  oaths  of 
several  witnesses,  and  being  well  assured  that  nothing  but  perjury  could 
support  it,  was  resolved  to  traverse  it,  and   accordingly  did  so.     The 
assizes  were  held  at  Nevvbury,  and  when  the  time  drew  near,  there  was 
great  triumph  in  the  success  these  gentlemen   proposed  to  themselves, 
when  on  a  sudden  the  scene  was  changed  ;   news  came  to  the  justice, 
that  his  son,  whom  he  had  lately  placed  at  Oxford,  was  gone  oiF  with 
a  player ;  the  concern  whereof,  and  the  riding  in  search  of  him,  pre- 
vented his  attendance  in  the  court.     The  clergyman,  a   few  days  be- 
fore the  assizes,  boasted  much  of  the  service  which  would  be  doce  ta 
the  church  and  the  neighbourhood  by  this  prosecution,  and  of  his  own 
determination  to  be  at  Newbury  to  help    carry    it  on  ;  but  to  the  sur- 
prise of  many,  his  design  was  frustrated  by  sudden  death.     One  <  i 
the  witnesses,  who  lived  at  Cromish,  was  a!&o  prevented,  by  being  sei/.- 
ed  with  violent  and  sad  disease,  of  which  he  died.     Another  ot  then: 
fell  down  and  broke  his  leg,  and  was  so  hindered.     In  short,  of  seven 
or  eight  persons  engaged  in  this  wicked  design,  there  was  but  one  left 
WAS  capable  of  appearing  ;  he  was  a  gardener,  who  had  been 


416  Seventh-Dixy  Baptists  in  England. 

frequently  employed  by  Mr.  Stennett  at  day  labour,  but  never  lodged 
in  his  house,  nor  was  admitted  to  the  religious  assemblies  held  there. 
They  thought  to  make  him,  as  he  was  a  servant  to  the  family,  a  very 
material  evidence  ;  and  kept  him  in  liquor  for  several  days  to  that  pur- 
pose. But  coming  to  his  reason  just  as  the  assizes  drew  on,  he  went 
about  the  town,  exclaiming  against  himself  for  his  ingratitude  and  per- 
jury, as  well  as  against  those  who  had  employed  him  ;  and  absolutely 
refused  to  go.  So  that  when  Mr.  Stennett  came  to  Newbury,  neither 
prosecutor  nor  witness  appearing  against  him,  he  was  discharged  of 
course." 

Joseph  Stennett,  one  of  the  sons  of  this  worthy  man,  was  born 
1663,  and  was  early  brought  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth  ;  he  went 
to  London  in  1685,  and  about  five  years  after  became  pastor  of  the 
Seventh  day  church  at  Pinner's  Hall,  which  had  been  deprived  of  its 
pastor  by  the  death  of  Mr.  Francis  Bampfield.  Mr.  Stennet  was  a 
minister  very  eminent  in  his  d.iy  ;  his  learning  and  abilities  were  great, 
and  he  rendered  essential  services  to  the  Baptist  cause  in  London  and 
its  vicinity.  He  preached  much  among  the  churches  of  the  First  day 
order,  and  took  an  active  and  successful  part  in  all  their  concerns.  His 
son  Joseph,  D.  D.  retained  his  opinion  respecting  the  Sabbath,  but  be- 
came pastor  of  a  church  of  a  different  belief.  The  fourth  in  descent 
from  the  ancient  Edward  Stennett,  was  the  late  Samuel  Stennett,  D.  D. 
and  the  fifth  is  the  present  Joseph  Stennett,  of  Oxfordshire.  Whether 
this  distinguished  succession  have  all  observed  the  Seventh  day,  I  am 
noc  informed. 

Francis  Bampfield  was  one  of  the  most  eminent  ministers  of  fiis 
time  ;  he  was  educated  at  Oxford  University,  and  was  a  number  of 
years  a  minister  of  good  repute  in  the  established  church.  He,  dif- 
ferent from  the  father  of  the  Stennetts,  in  the  time  of  the  civil  wars, 
was  against  the  Parliament,  opposed  the  Protector's  usurpation,  and 
suffered  on  that  account.  At  what  time  he  became  a  Baptist  is  not 
known  ;  but  on  the  restoration  of  Charles,  all  his  former  loyalty  was 
disregarded,  and  he  was,  through  the  remainder  of  his  life,  treated 
with  unrelenting  severities,  and  constantly  followed  with  persecution 
and  distress.  In  one  prison  he  was  confined  eight  years.  After  that 
he  was  released,  went  to  London,  gathered  a  church,  which  kept  the 
Seventh  day;  but  he  finally  died  in  Newgate,  in  1683.  He  publish- 
ed a  number  of  tracts,  among  which  was  one  on  the  observation  of 
the  Seventh  day  Sabbath.* 

John  James,  the  minister  of  a  church  of  Sabbatarian  Baptists  in 
London,  was  put  to  death  in  a  most  barbarous  manner,  in  1661.  To 
take  away  his  life  was  not  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  rage  of  his  blood- 
thirsty enemies  ;  but  after  being  hung  at  Tyburn,  he  was  drawn  and 
quartered  ;  his  quarters  were  carried  back  to  Newgate  on  the  sledge, 
which  carried  him  to  the  gallows ;  they  were  afterwards  placed  on 
the  gates  of  the  city,  and  his  head  was  set  on  a  pole  opposite  his  mcet- 
Jng-house.  This  innocent  man  was  exposed  to  these  terrible  sufferings 
on  the  charge  of  speaking  treasonable  words  against  his  Majesty's  royal 
person  at  a  private  meeting,  &c.  Some  of  the  treasonable  words  were, 
that  the  king  was  "  a  bloody  tyrant,  a  blood-sucker,  a  blood-thirstf 

*  Crosby,  Vol.  L  p.  363 — 367". 


Seventh-Day  Baptists  in  England.  417 

man,  and  his  nobles  the  same  ;  apd  that  they  had  shed  the  blood  of 
the  saints,"  &c.  I'o  these  charges  he  pleaded  not  guilty,  neither  in 
foim  nor  matter  ;  but  had  he  acknowledged  these  charges  against  the 
infamous  Charles  II.  and  his  bloody  associates,  they  would  have  been 
the  words  of  truth  and  soberness. 

But  there  appears  to  have  been  a  malicious  combination  against  this 
harmless  man,  and  he  was  convicted  upon  evidence,  which  the  court, 
with  all  its  prejudices,  at  first  thought  not  worth  regarding.  It  was 
proved  afterwards,  by  four  respectable  persons,  that  one  Bernard  Os- 
burn  confessed  that  he  had  sworn  against  Mr.  James,  he  knew  not 
\vii  it.  His  wife,  by  the  advice  of  her  friends,  presented  a  petition  to 
the  king,  stating  her  husband's  innocency,  and  the  character  of  the 
witness.  When  his  inexorable  majesty  saw  the  paper  endorsed  The 
bi»nble  request  of  Elizabeth  'James,  he  replied,  holding  up  his  finger, 
"  Oh  !  Mr.  James — he  is  a  sweet  gentleman  !"  And  when  the  afflicted 
woman  followed  him  to  get  tome  further  answer,  the  door  was  shut 
against  her.  The  next  morning,  as  the  king  entered  the  park,  the  dis- 
t:e>sed  wife  again  entreated  his  majesty  to  answer  her  request,  and  par- 
don her  husband  ;  but  deaf  to  her  cries,  he  again  replied,  "  He  Is  a 
rogue,  and  shall  be  hanged  !"  Thus  the  poor  woman  was  obliged  to 
retire,  without  even  being  heard  by  her  pitiless  sovereign.  Mr.  James 
went  to  the  gallows  with  Christian  fortitude,  and  finished  his  course 
in  a  joyful  manner.  "  If,"  says  Crosby,  "  there  was  any  undue  com- 
bination against  this  poor  man  ;  if  it  was  for  some  reason  of  State  rath- 
er than  for  any  real  guilt  ou  his  part ;  if  his  judgment  and  conscience, 
rather  than  any  just  crime,  were  the  cause  of  his  sufferings,  his  blood 
must  be  innocent  blood."* 

Robert  Shalder,  mentioned  in  the  history  of  the  English  Baptists,  vol. 
i.  p.  210,  who  was  taken  out  of  his  grave  by  his  rude  persecutors,  ap- 
pears to  have  been  a  Seventh-day  Baptist,  as  was  John  Maulden,  a 
pious  and  worthy  minister,  who  was  persecuted  much  for  non-conform- 
itv,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  reign  of  Charles  II.  Mr.  Maulden  pub- 
lished three  small  pieces,  one  of  which  was  on  this  question,  "  Wheth- 
er the  Seventh  or  First  day  of  the  week  be  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord  ?"f 

These  are  a  few  of  the  Sabbatarians  why  bore  a  share  among  the 
sufferings  of  the  English  Baptists. 

An  account  of  the  number  of  churches  of  this  sentiment,  and  also 
a  brief  vindication  of  their  opinions,  are  contained  in  die  following 
letter  from  Dr.  Edward  Stennett,  whose  name  has  already  been  men- 
tioned. It  is  dated  Bell- Lane,  London,  February  2,  1668,  and  di- 
rected to  the  Sabbath-keepers  in  Rhode-Island. 

"  Dearly  Beloved, 

"  I  rejoice  in  the  Lord  on  your  behalf,  in  that  he  hath  been  gra- 
ciously pleased  to  make  known  to  you  his  holy  Sabbath,  in  such  a  day 
as  this,  when  truth  falleth  in  the  streets,  and  equity  cannot  enter.  And 
•with  us,  we  can  scarcely  find  a  man  that  is  really  willing  to  know 
whether  the  Sabbath  be  a  truth  or  not ;  and  those  who  have  tbe 

*  Crosby,  vol.  ii.  p.  165.    Ivimey,  p.  320 — 327. 
f  Crosby,  vol.  iii.  p.  139,  140. 

VOL.  2.  53 


418  Seventh-Day  Baptists  in  America. 

greatest  parts,  have  the  least  anxiety  to  meddle  with  it.  We  have 
passed  through  great  opposition  for  this  truth's  sake,  especially  horn 
our  brethren,  which  made  the  affliction  heavier  :  I  dare  not  s;*y  how 
heavy,  lest  it  should  seem  incredible.  But  the  opposers  of  truth  seem 
much  withered,  and  at  present  the  opposition  seems  to  be  dying  away  ; 
for  truth  is  strong.  This  spiritual  fiery  law  will  burn  up  all  those 
things  that  men  do  set  before  it ;  for  was  there  ever  any  ceremonial 
law  given  us  ?  This  law  was  given  from  the  mouth  of  God,  in  the 
care  of  so  many  thousands  ;  wrote  on  tables  of  stone  with  his  own 
finger  ;  promised  to  be  wrote  on  the  tables  of  their  hearts ;  and  con- 
firmed by  a  miracle  for  the  space  of  forty  years,  in  the  wilderness. 
The  manna  not  keeping  good  any  day  but  the  Sabbath,  God  gave 
them  the  bread  of  two  days,  because  he  gave  them  the  Sabbath.  But 
whatever  was  gathered  on  the  other  days,  and  kept  until  the  next, 
stank,  and  was  full  of  worms.  And  no  ceremonial  law  had  the  pen- 
alty of  death  annexed  to  it,  to  be  inflicted  by  the  magistrate  ;  but  the 
wilful  profaner  of  the  Sabbath  was  to  be  put  to  death  by  the  magis- 
trate, as  the  wilful  murderer ;  which  clearly  proves  it  to  be  a  moral 
law  ;  as  may  be  seen  Exod.  i6th  chap,  and  elsewhere  :  "  If  they  hear 
not  Moses  and  the  prophets,  neither  will  they  be  persuaded  though 
one  rose  from  the  dead."  Luke  xvi.  31. 

"  Here  is  in  England  about  nine  or  ten  churches  that  keep  the  Sab- 
bath ;  besides  many  scattered  disciples,  who  have  been  eminently  pre- 
served in  this  tottering  day,  when  many  eminent  churches  have  been 
shattered  to  pieces."* 

About  this  time,  a  number  of  letters  were  sent  to  America  by  Pe- 
ter Chamberlain,  senior  Doctor  of  both  Universities,  and  Physician  in 
ordinary  to  his  Majesty's  person,  who  was  a  Sabbatarian. f 

By  Mr.  Stennett's  letter  it  appears  that  the  number  of  Seventh-day 
churches  was  greater  at  this  early  period,  than  it  has  been  since.  At 
present,  as  near  as  I  can  learn,  there  are  but  three  churches  in  England, 
which  observe  the  Seventh  day.  Two  of  them  are  in  London,  and 
the  third  in  the  country,  at  a  place  called  Natton.  Two  of  them,  viz. 
one  in  London  and  the  one  in  Natton,  are,  in  their  doctrinal  senti- 
ments, Particular  Baptists,  and  the  other  in  London  is  of  the  General 
persuasion. 

Seventh-Day  Baptists  in  America, 

RHODE-ISLAND  was  the  early  resort  of  Baptists,  who  kept  holy  the 
Seventh  day  ;  and  it  now  contains  not  far  from  a  thousand  communi- 
cants of  this  belief.  They  are  also  found  in  a  number  of  the  other 
States. 

The  first  Sabbatarian  church  in  America  was  formed  in  Newport 
in  1671,  and  originated  in  the  following  manner  :  In  the  year  1665, 
Stephen  Mumford  came  over  from  England,  and  brought  with  him 
the  opimcm  that  the  whole  of  the  Ten  Commandments,  as  they  were 
delivered  from  Mount  Sinai,  are  moral  and  immutable,  and  that  it  was 
an  anti- Christian  power  that  changed  the  SabUath  from  the  Seventh  to 

*  History  of  the  Sabbatarians,  £cc.  by  Henry  Clarke,  pastor  of  a  clvjrch  of 
that  order,  in  Brookfield  county.  New- York,  p.  10,  11. 
f  Backus,  Clarke. 


Seventh-Day  Baptists  in  America.  419 

the  First  day  of  the  week.*  Mr.  Mumford  appears  to  have  joined  Mr. 
Clarke's  church,  and  Messrs.  Hiscox,  Hubbard,  and  others  of  that  com- 
munity soon  fell  in  with  his  opinion  of  observing  the  Seventh  day.  These 
brethren  travelled  in  communion  with  that  church  until  1671,  when 
some  of  their  number  fell  back  to  the  observation  of  the  First  day  as 
the  Sabbath.  This  the  Sabbatarians  called  apostasy,  and  could  no 
longer  travel  with  the  church,  except  they  were  expelled.  The  church 
counted  their  change  a  reformation,  and  could  not  therefore  bring  them 
under  censure. f  This  was  truly  an  inconvenient  posture  of  affairs,  and 
the  Sabbatarians  seemed  to  have  no  alternative  but  to  withdraw. 
Their  number  was  seven  ;  their  names  were  William  Hiscox,  Samuel 
Hubbard,  Stephen  Mumford,  Roger  Baster,  and  three  sisters.  These 
persons  formed  themselves  into  a  church,  and  William  Hiscox  became 
their  pastor.  He  died  in  1704,  aged  66,  and  was  succeeded  by  Wil- 
liam Gibson,  who  died  in  1717,  aged  79.  He  came  from  London, 
where  he  had  been  ordained  before  his  arrival  in  Newport  ;J  is  said  to 
Jiave  been  a  scholar,  and  left  behind  him  a  good  character  as  a  preach- 
er and  Christian.  Next  to  him  was  Joseph  Crandal,  who  had  also  been 
his  colleague.  This  is  the  same  Crandal,  who  was  apprehended  with 
Messrs.  Clark  and  Holmes  at  Lynn,  in  165  i.  He  died  in  1737.  Af- 
ter him  was  John  Maxon,  who  died  in  1778.  Successor  to  him  was 
the  late  venerable  Elder  William  Bliss,  who  died  in  1808,  aged  Si. 
The  church  is  now  under  the  care  of  his  son  Arnold  Bliss  and  Henry 
Burdick.  Besides  these  pastors,  this  church  has  sent  forth  a  considera- 
ble number  of  preachers,  who  have  laboured  as  assistants  at  home,  and 
also  in  different  places  abroad. 

From  some  of  the  early  members  of  this  church  have  proceeded  a 
number  of  the  principal  characters,  in  Rhode-Island,  and  among  its 
communicants  were  the  two  governors,  Richard  and  Samuel  Ward.$ 

The  Hopkinton  church  is  the  largest  in  the  Sabbatarian  connexion, 
and  indeed  in  almost  any  other,  and  contains  about  nine  hundred  mem- 
bers. It  was  formed  at  Westerly  in  1708,  of  members  from  Newport, 
who  had  removed  and  settled  in  this  region.  Westerly,  at  that  time, 
comprehended  all  the  southwest  corner  of  the  State.  It  was  after- 
wards divided  into  Hopkinton,  Charlesvown,  &c.  This  large  church 
has  three  meeting-houses,  at  two  of  which  the  communion  is  adminis- 
tered. It  has  had  a  succession  of  wcrthy  pastors,  most  of  whom  were 
remarkable  for  longevity.  It  has  also  sent  forth  many  successful 
preachers.  Its  members  have  filled  various  different  civil  offices  in 
the  State,  and  Deacon  Babcock  is  now  (1813)  one  of  its  senators. 

Though  this  church  has  its  seat  in  Hopkinton,  yet  its  members  ate 
scattered  in  a  number  of  the  adjoining  towns.  They  are  an  amiable, 
pious  people,  pretty  much  inclined  to  the  Arminian  system.  Laying, 
on-of-hands  they  generally  practise,  but  do  not  make  it  a  bar  to  com- 
munion. They  have  lately  had  a  precious  revival  among  them,  in 
which  between  one  and  two  hundred  were  added  to  their  number. 
Their  pastors,  till  lately,  were  Abram  Coon  and  Matthew  Stillman. 
Elder  Coon  died  a  short  time  since,  and  who  succeeds  him  I  have  not 
learnt. 

*  Chrke's  History  of  the  Sabbatarians,  p.  8. 

t  Backus,  vo'.  i.  \>.  411.     M.  E  Iwards's  MS.  Hw'ccvy  of  Rhode-Island,  p.  10f> 

r.  Eilwartls's  MS.  Hist,  tf  Rhode-Island,  p.  109. 

$  Backus,  vol.  iii.  I».  234. 


420  Seventh-Day  Baptists  in  America. 

The  Rhode-Island  Sabbatarians,  like  the  school  of  the  prophets, 
finding  thviir  place  too  small  for  them,  have  emigrated  to  other  parts, 
but  mostly  to  the  State  of  New- York ;  and  by  them  foundations  have 
been  laid  for  a  number  of  churches  of  their  order,  which  are  in  a  flour- 
ishing condition,  and  some  of  them  are  large.  Their  names,  pastors 
and  numbers  will  be  given  in  the  general  table. 

In  New-Jersey  are  two  churches  of  the  Seventh-day  Baptists,  which 
are  ancient  and  respectable.  The  oldest  was  formed  at  Piscataway, 
about  thirty  miles  from  the  city  of  New- York,  in  1705,  and  arose  in 
the  following  manner  :  "  About  i  701,  one  Edmund  Dunham,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  old  First-day  church  in  that  town,  admonished  one  Bonham, 
who  was  doing  some  servile  work  on  Sunday.  Bonham  put  him  on 
proving  that  the  first  day  of  the  week  was  holy  by  divine  appointment. 
This  set  Dunham  on  examining  the  point  ;  the  consequence  was,  re- 
jecting the  first  day,  and  receiving  the  fourth  commandment  as  moral 
and  therefore  unchangeable."*  In  a  short  time,  seventeen  of  the  old 
body  sided  with  Dunham;  and  in  1 705,  they  were  formed  into  a  church, 
chose  Dunham  for  their  pastor,  and  sent  him  to  Westerly  to  be  ordain- 
ed, by  the  Sabbatarian  church  in  that  place. 

From  this  church  originated  the  one  at  Cohansey,  in  1737,  which 
has  since  become  much  larger  than  the  mother  body.  It  is  situated 
about  forty  miles  south-west  from  Philadelphia.  Both  of  these  church- 
es have  had,  for  the  most  part,  worthy  pastors ;  they  were  founded 
and  still  continue  on  the  Calvinistick  plan  of  doctrine. 

A  tnird  church  of  Sabbatarian  Baptists  was  formed  in  this  State  at 
a  place  called  Squan,  in  Monmouth  county,  upwards  of  sixty  miles 
e-ist  by  north  ot  Philadelphia,  in  1745,  of  brethren  from  Stonington, 
Connecticut,  and  Westerly,  Rhode- Island.  After  remaining  here  up- 
wards ot  forty  years,  they  bartered  their  estates  for  new  lands  some- 
where towards  the  Ohio  river.  This  church  was  Calvinistick,  and  by 
it  was  probably  formed  the  one  in  the  Red-stone  country  of  the  same 
faith,  of  which  Mr.  Clarke,  their  historian,  seems  to  have  obtained  no 
discinct  account. 

In  Pennsylvania  we  find  seme  at  different  times,  who  have  united 
wi'.h  believers'  baptism  the  observation  of  the  Seventh  day.  The 
Tui.ker  church  at  Ephrata  is  of  this  belief,  as  will  be  shown  in  the  his- 
tory of  "ha1  people.  In  the  time  so  many  Keithian  Quakers  (of  whom 
an  account  will  soon  be  given)  became  Baptists,  many  of  them  tell  in 
with  the  observation  of  the  S-.-venth  day,  principally  by  the  influence 
of  one  Abel  Noble,  who  was  at  that  time  the  only  Sabbatarian  Baptist 
in  Pennsylvania.  He  arrived  here,  from  what  place  I  do  not  find,  in 
1684;  he  baptized  the  first  Keithian  Quaker  in  1697,  and  by  him 
many  others  v;ere  gained  over  to  the  Sabbatarian  faith.  About  1700, 
fear  chuiches  of  Sabbatarian  Baptists  were  formed  at  Newtown,  twen- 
ty -four  iriiles  from  Philadelphia  ;  at  Pennepek,  nine  miles  ditto  ;  at 
Nottingham,  fifty  miles  ditto ;  and  at  French-Creek,  thirty-two  miles 
from  that  city.  At  this  last  place  they  built  a  meeting-house  in  1762, 
30  feet  by  22,  on  a  lot  of  one  acre,  the  gift  of  David  Rogers ;  at  the 
other  places  they  mei  in  private  houses.  Respecting  the  progress  of 
the»<  communities,  I  do  not  find  much  information.  In  1770,  there 

*  Edwards's  Materials  cov,  arris  the  History  of  the  Baptists  in  New-Jersey,  p. 
»3fe»    Clarke's  History  of  the  Sabbatarians,  'p.  31. 


Seventh-Day  Baptists  in  America.  124? 

were,  In  all  four  of  them,  but  thirty-one  communicants,  and  but  one 
preacher,  whose  name  was  Enoch  David.* 

In  Virginia  are  three  churches  of  the  Seventh-day  Baptists  ;  two  of 
them  belong  to  the  Sabbatarian  Conference ;  the  third,  because  it  ad- 
mits to  membership  some  brethren  who  keep  the  First  day,  has  not 
been  received  into  that  body. 

In  1754.  a  church  of  this  order  of  Baptists  was  begun  on  Broad 
River,  in  the  parish  of  St.  Mark,  South-Carolina,  about  180  miles 
from  Charleston.  The  leading  members  in  it  were  'J  homas  Owen 
and  Victor  Nelly,  from  French-Creek,  Pennsylvania,  and  John  Gregory 
and  his  two  sons,  Richard  and  John,  from  Pucataway,  New-Jersey. 
They  were  Calvinistick  in  sentiment,  and  in  1770,  had  inci eased  to 
eighteen  families,  whereof  twenty-four  persons  were  baptized.  They 
had  for  their  preacher  one  Israel  Zeymore,  while  he  behaved  well ; 
but  he  afterwards  became  the  master  of  a  vessel,  and  next  went  into 
the  army.  "  He  was,"  says  M.  Edwards,  "  a  man  of  wit  and  learn- 
ing, but  unstable  as  water." 

Besides  this  Sabbatarian  church,  there  were,  at  the  same  time,  some 
oftheTunker  Baptists  at  Beaver-Creek,  CloudVCreek,  and  Edisto, 
who  observed  the  Seventh  day. 

In  1759,  eight  families  of  the  Seventh-day  Baptists  passed  over  from 
South-Carolina,  and  settled  near  Tuckaseeking,  in  Georgia.  They  had 
for  their  leader  Richard  Gregory,  the  son  of  John  Gregory,  ai  Br'>ad 
River.  Another  of  their  preachers  was  named  Clayton,  who  was 
fined  a  mark  for  saying,  "  that  no  man  could  be  a  Christian  who  kept 
a  concubine,  were  the  keeper  a  king,  and  the  concubine  a  countess  ;'* 
this  was  construed  a  reflection  on  the  late  king  and  the  countess  of 
Yarmouth.  After  residing  here  about  five  years,  this  company  retired 
to  t-disto,  and  left  but  few  proselytes  behind  them.f 

Thus  we  see  that  the  Seventh-day  Baptists  have  been  found  in  aknost 
every  part  of  the  United  States.  There  are  at  present  eleven  church- 
es of  them  united  in  an  Association  by  the  name  of  the  Sabbataiian 
General  Conference,  which  holds  its  anniversaries  in  different  places, 
as  best  suits  the  convenience  of  the  churches.  It  is  said  there  are,  be- 
sides the  churches  already  named,  one  or  two  in  the  western  States,  of 
•which  no  distinct  accounts  have  been  obtained. 

The  number  of  communicants  in  the  Sabbatarian  connexion  is  a  lit- 
tle less  than  two  thousand.  But  it  is  supposed  by  Mr.  Clarke,  their 
historian,  that  the  Seventh-day  Sabbath  is  observed  by  a  population  of 
not  less  than  fifteen  thousand. 

In  baptism,  church  discipline,  &c.  the  Sabbatarians  differ  in  noth- 
ing from  their  First-day  brethren  ;  in  doctrine,  some  of  them  are  Cal- 
•vinists,  but  perhaps  a  greater  part  are  inclined  to  the  Arminian  sys- 
tem ;  which,  however,  they  wish  to  define  for  themselves. 

Of  their  distinguishing  sentiment  respecting  the  Seventh  day,  they 
are  peculiarly  tenacious  ;  and  as  they  consider  all,  who  do  not  regard 
this  day,  violators  of  the  Sabbath  or  the  Lord,  they  cannot,  in  their 
opinion,  consistently  receive  them  into  their  churches,  nor  sit  down 
with  them  at  ihe  communion-table.  Yet  they  aie  willing  to  unite  with 
them  in  preaching,  and  in  all  other  acts  of  devotion  and  brotherly  love. 

*  Edwards's  Materials  towards  a  History  of  the  Baptists  in  Pennsylvania  p 
60,  63. 

t  Edwards's  MS.  Materials  fur  South-Carolina  and  Georgia. 


422  Roger  ens  Baptists. 

As  to  the  strictness  of  observing  the  Sabbath,  their  writers  seem  tc 
differ  a  little  in  their  rules.  Some  contend  that  they  ought  to  keep  It 
according  to  the  spirit  of  the  fourth  commandment.  Others  plead 
that  the  rigorous  ceremonies  enjoined  in  the  Old  Testament,  aie,  with 
the  rest  of  the  ceremonial  laws,  cone  away  under  the  new  dispensation  ; 
so  that  they  may  lawfully  ride  their  horses  to  meeting,  and  do  other 
things  on  die  Sabbath,  which  the  Jews  were  forbidden  to  do  on  their 
peril. 

Roger  ene  Baptists. 

THIS  sect  took  its  rise  at  New-London,  in  Connecticut,  abcut  the 
year  1674;  for  in  that  year  one  John  Rogers  and  James  his  brother, 
and  an  Indian  by  the  name  of  Japheth,  were  bapti/ed  by  a  Mr.  Cran- 
dal,  then  a  colleague  pastor  of  the  Seventh-day  Baptist  church  in 
Newport  (R.  I.)  The  next  year,  by  the  request  of  these  persons,  Wil- 
liam Hiscox,  the  senior  pastor  of  the  same  church,  and  two  of  his 
brethren,  viz.  Samuel  Hubbard  and  his  son  Clarke,  made  them  a  visit ; 
when  another  brother,  by  the  name  of  Jonathan,  was  baptized,  and 
these  four  persons  were  received  as  members  of  the  Sabbatarian  church, 
in  Newport,  in  their  usual  form,  by  prayer  and  the  laying-on-of-hands. 
Soon  after  this,  John  Rogers's  father-in-law  (tor  what  reason  I  do  not 
find)  took  from  him  his  wife  and  children,  with  whom  he  was  never 
afterwards  united.*  Thus  John  Rogers  not  only  lost  his  wife  and 
children  in  the  outset  of  his  career,  but  upon  her  complaints  against 
him,  he  was  carried  before  the  Deputy-Governor  of  Connecticut,  by 
whom  he  was  sentenced  to  Hartford  gaol,  where  he  remained  a 
considerable  time. 

In  September,  1676,  the  three  Rogerses  and  Japheth,  the  Indian, 
went  in  a  boat  and  brought  Messrs.  Hiscox  and  Hubbard  to  New- 
London  again,  when  the  father  and  mother  of  one  of  the  sisters  of  the 
Rogerses  were  all  baptized  by  Mr.  Hiscox,  and  were  also  added  to  the 
church  with  which  they  had  united.  These  frequent  visits  and  ad- 
ministrations of  the  Baptists,  awakened  the  jealousies  and  resentment 
of  the  people  of  the  town,  and  the  power  of  the  magistrate  was  soon 
exerted  in  rigorous  measures,  against  this  new  and  obnoxious  sect. 
These  few  persons,  having  adopted  the  Seixntb  Jay  of  the  week  for  their 
Sabbath,  continued  to  pursue  their  worldly  business  on  the  First,  a  prac- 
tice very  common  with  people  of  this  belief;  for  which  they  soon  began 
to  be  harassed,  imprisoned  and  beaten.  But  opposition  seemed  only 
to  inflame  their  zeal,  and  hurried  them  on  to  an  extravagant  and  al- 
most unexampled  extreme.  Hitherto  these  persons,  who  afterwards 
broke  over  all  bounds  of  order  and  decency,  were  not  known  as  a  dis- 
tinct set,  but  had  a  regular  standing  in  the  Seventh-day  Baptist  church 
at  Newport.  John  Rogers, who  afterwards  became  the  fantastick  leader 
of  this  deluded  community,  on  the  following  occasion,  began  the  wild 
and  heedless  career,  by  \vhich  he  exposed  himself  so  much  to  the  cen- 
sure of  his  friends  and  the  persecuting  violence  of  his  enemies.  In  the 
year  1677,  Messrs.  Hiscox  and  his  companion  Hubbard  visited  New. 
London  a  third  time,  and  proposed  to  baptize  the  wife  of  Joseph  Ro- 
gers, another  brother  of  the  Rogers  family.  Their  meeting  was  held 

*  It  is  related  by  Morgan  Edwards  that  she  was  afterwards  married  to  a 
Uwycr,  L>y  ths  oame  oi"  Frutt. 


Rogerene  Baptists* 

two  miles  from  the  town,  where  it  was  proposed  that  baptism  should 
he  administered  ;  but  John  WAS  for  no  retirement  ;  lie  mast  needs  have 
the  company  go  up  to  the  town,  and  have  the  administration  in  sight 
and  hearing  of  their  enemies.  John  was  finally  listened  to,  and  led  on 
the  procession.  This  provoking  measure  turned  out  as  might  have 
been  expected  in  those  days  of  intolerance  and  persecution  ;  for  while 
Mr.  Hiscox  was  preaching,  he  was  seized  by  the  constable  and  imme- 
diately carried  before  the  magistrate,  where  he  was  detained  a  short 
time,  and  then  released.  They  now  repaired  to  another  place,  and  be- 
gan to  prepare  for  the  administration  ;  when,  to  the  astonishment  of  the 
company,  John  stepped  forward  and  prayed,  and  then  led  the  woman 
down  into  the  wa.ter,  and  baptized  her.  From  this  time  this  singular 
man  took  it  upon  him  to  baptize,  and  also  to  administer  in  other  things 
in  a  ministerial  capacity.  His  relatives,  excepting  his  brother  Jona- 
than, imbibed  his  spirit  and  followed  his  dictates.  The  church  at 
Newport  attempted  to  reform  and  regulate  them  ;  but  their  exertions 
proved  ineffectual,  and  their  connexion  was  soon  dissolved. 

Thus  far  the  history  of  the  Rogerenes  has  been  compiled  from  Back- 
us. The  following  is  related  in  the  words  of  Morgan  .Edwards,  who 
took  his  account  from  Backus,  and  from  John  Rogers's  own  writings. 
After  mentioning  the  baptism  of  the  Rogers  fanaily,  he  says,  "The 
most  forward  of  the  brothers  was  John  ;  for  he  took  upon  him  to  form 
the  family,  and  others  that  he  baptized,  into  a  church,  arid  to  make  a 
creed,  and  to  settle  rules  of  discipline.  The  first  act  of  discipline  was 
the  excommuaication  of  his  brother  Jonathan,  for  using  medicine,  and 
refusing  to  do  things  which  would  bring  on  him  the  lash  of  the  civil 
magistrate.  And  thus  John  Rogers  was  not  only  the  founder  of  the 
sect,  and  the  person  from  whom  they  were  called  Rogerenes,  but  the 
hero  of  the  cause,  in  suffering,  and  writing,  and  defying  ;  I  say  defying, 
for  he  had  not  been  long  at  the  head  of  the  cause,  before  he  printed  and 
published  the  following  proclamation  :  "  I,  John  Rogers,  a  servant  or' 
Jesus  Christ,  doth  here  make  an  opeji  declaration  of  war  against  the 
great  red  dragon  ;  and  against  the  beast  to  which  he  gives  power  ;  and 
against  th*  false  church  which  rides  upon  the  beast  ;  and  against  the 
false  prophets,  who  are  established  by  the  dragon  and  the  beast  ;  and 
against  the  image  of  the  beast  :  and,  also,  a  proclamation  of  deri.-ion 
against  the  sword  of  the  devil's  spirit,  which  is  prisons,  stocks,  whips, 
fines,  and  revilings,  all  which  is  to  defend  the  doctrines  of  devils."  —  His 
theory,  relative  to  baptism  and  the  Lord's  supper,  is  scriptural  ;  for 
the  Rogerenes  baptize  by  immersing  professed  penitents  and  believers  ; 
the  Lord's  supper  they  administer  in  the  evening,  with  its  ancient  ap- 
pendages. Some  other  articles  of  Rogers's  creed  are  as  follow  :  "  ist, 
All  days  are  alike  since  the  death  of  Christ.  2d,  No  medicines  are  to- 
be  used,  nor  doctors  nor  surgeons-employed.*  3d,  No  grace  at  meals. 

*  This  irrational  sentiment  they  carried,  with  all  the  rest  of  their  reveries, 
to  an  e»thusi:istu-.k  extreme,  by  refusing  to  have  miciwives  for  women  in  ti  avail, 
holding  that  they  were  to  be  delivered  and  hrak-d  by  the  power  of  faith.  Old 
Mr.  Rogers,  (Mr.  Hubbard  informs  us)  had  the  wheel  of  a  loaded  cart  run  over 
his  leg,  by  which  it  was  very  much  bruised  :  and  thit  he  had,  when  he  saw 
him,  re  nuined  six  weeks  in  a  must  deplorable  condition,  but  still  strenuously 
refused  the  use  of  any  means. 


Although  the  descendants  of  the  Rogerenes  have  generally  relinquished  th*. 
culiarities  of  their  ancestors,  yet  sonic  of  them  are  stiii  tinctured  wit'a 


424  Rogerene  Baptists. 

4th,  All  prayers  to  be  mental,  and  not  vocal,  except  when  the  spirit 
of  prayer  compels  to  the  use  of  the  voice.  5th,  Aii  unscriptural  p-.-ris 
of  religious  worship  are  idols.  6th,  All  good  Christians  should  exert 
themselves  against  idols,"  &c.  Among  these  idols  they  placed  the 
first  day  of  the  week,  infant  baptism,  &c.  The  First-day  Saboath  they 
called  the  New- England  idol.  The  methods  they  took  to  demolish  this 
idol  were,  they  would  be  at  work  near  meeting-houses,  and  in  the  v\  ays 
to  meeting-houses  ;  and  take  work  into  meeting-houses,  the  v\omen 
knitting,  and  the  men  whittling  and  making  splits  for  baskets,  and  every 
now  and  then  contradicting  the  preachers ;  this  was  seeking  persecu- 
tion, and  they  had  plenty  of  it ;  insomuch  that  the  New-tnglanders 
left  some  of  them  neither  liberty,  nor  property,  nor  whole  skins. 

John  Rogers  was  an  author.  He  published  a  commentary  on  the 
Revelation  :  he  that  hath  patience  to  read  it.  let  him  read  it.  He  also 
published  a  Midnight  Cry,  a  Narrative  of  Sufferings ,  &c.  These  last  are 
of  some  use ;  for  out  of  them  I  have  extracted  some  sketches  of  his 
history  ;  and  others  from  Backus."* 

Such  was  the  beginning  of  the  sect  of  the  Rogerenes.  Had  they  en- 
joyed a  free  toleration  in  their  wild  speculation^,  and  been  exposed  to  no 
more  legal  coercion  than  a  judicious  magistracy  would  have  inflicted, 
their  zeal  might  have  soon  abated,  and  their  sect  become  extinct.  But 
their  intolerant  neighbours  and  rulers  could  exercise  no  degree  of  pa- 
tience or  forbearance  towards  them.  But  they  were  scrupulous  to 
mark  every  provocation  (and  the  Rogerenes  were  certainly  guilty  of 
many  ;)  and  being  clothed  with  power,  they  pursued  with  unrelenting 
severity,  by  frequently  haling  before  magistrates,  imprisoning,  and 
unmercifully  whipping  a  people  whose  mistaken  zeal  ought  certainly 
to  have  excited  some  degree  of  compassion  as  well  as  resentment. 
But  the  Rogerenes  gloried  in  tribulation  :  they  often  published  ac- 
counts of  their  persecutions  and  sufferings,  and  most  fully  demonstra- 
ted to  their  enemies,  "  that  persecution  is  the  surest  way  to  increase 
its  objects." 

John  Rogers,  the  founder  of  this  extraordinary  sect,  (than  whom 
Diogenes  was  not  more  churlish  and  contrary  to  all  men)  after  prosecu- 
ting his  ministry  for  more  than  forty  years,  died  at  his  own  house  in 
New-London,  in  1721,  in  the  73d  year  of  his  age.  The  occasion  of 
his  death  was  as  follows  :  The  small-pox  raged  terribly  in  Boston, 
(Mass.)  and  spread  an  alarm  in  all  the  country  around.  Rogers  was 
confident  that  he  could  mingle  with  the  diseased,  and  that  the  strength 
of  his  faith  would  preserve  him  safe  from  the  mortal  contagion.  Ac- 
cordingly he  was  presumptuous  enough  to  travel  100  miles  to  Boston, 
to  bring  his  faith  to  the  test,  where  he  caught  the  infection,  came  home, 
died  with  it,  and  spread  it  in  his  family.  Thus  ended  this  singular  man. 
This  event,  so  confounding  in  its  nature,  had  no  apparent  effect  on  the 
jninds  of  his  followers,  unless  it  were  to  increase  their  zeal.  Shortly 

notions  about  the  use  of  medicine  ;  and  one  of  them  lately,  (in  R.  I.)  when  vio- 
lently attacked  with  a  fever,  strenunuslv  refused  any  medical  assistance.  He 
consented  that  a  physician,  who  was  a  member  of  the  church  with  him,  should 
visit  him  as  a  brother,  but  not  as  a  doctor.  And  it  was  not  until  his  case  was 
thought  to  be  hflples*  and  hopeless,  that  he  consented  to  employ  a  physician  ; 
which  he  finally  did,  and  rec-j\  ered. 

*  Edwards's  History  of  the  Baptists  in  New-Jersey. 


Rogcrene  Baptists.  425 

ifter,  Joseph  Bolles  published  a  second  edition  of  Rogeri's  book',  en- 
titled, "  A  Midnight  Cry  from  the  temple  of  God  lo  the  ten  virgins 
Numbering  and  sleeping  ;  awake,  awake,  arise  !  and  gird  your  loins, 
and  trim  your  lamps,  for  behold  the  Bridegroom  cometh,  go  ye  there- 
fore out  to  meet  him  !"  Bolles  also  wrote  a  preface  to  the  "Midnight 
6Vy,"  in  which  he  says  of  Rogers,  "  For  his  religion  he  lost  his  wife 
and  children,  and  suffered  continual  persecution,  being  nearly  one 
third  of  his  life-time,  after  his  conversion,  in  prisons  !"  This  piece 
seemed  to  inspire  with  fresh  ardour  this  wild  community.  A  son  of 
John  Rogers  succeeded  his  father  in  his  deluded  ministry,  who,  with 
many  others  of  his  brethren,  set  out  with  redoubled  zeal  to  pull  down 
the  dagon  of  the  land,  the  idol  Sabbath. 

In  the  year  1725,  a  company  of  the  Rogerenes  were  taken  up  on 
the  Sabbath,  in  Norwich,  while  on  their  way  from  their  place  of  resi- 
dence to  Lebanon,  where  they  were  treated  with  much  abuse  and  se- 
verity, and  many  of  them  whipped  in  a  most  merciless  manner.  This 
occasioned  Governor  Joseph  Jenks  (of  R.I.)  to  write  a  spirited  piece 
against  their  persecutors,  in  which  he  not  only  blames  the  unnecessary 
severity  which  they  inflicted  on  the  Rogerenes,  but  he  also  reprobates 
their  provoking  and  disorderly  conduct.  This  friendly  interposition  of 
the  Governor  involved  him  in  a  dispute  with  one  Joseph  Backus, 
Esq.  the  magistrate  before  whom  the  Rogerenes  were  arraigned, 
which  was  probably  the  means  of  abating,  in  some  measure,  the  legal 
persecutions  which  continually  fell  to  the  lot  of  this  deluded  and  per- 
secuted people.  The  Connecticut  rulers,  after  inflicting  on  the  Roger- 
enes, for  almost  a  century,  their  fruitless  severities,  learnt,  at  length, 
what  they  ought  to  have  learnt  at  first,  that  the  wisest  way  to  deal 
with  them,  when  they  came  to  disturb  them,  and  proclaim  against  the 
idol  Sabbath,  was  to  remove  them  away,  until  their  worship  was  end- 
ed, and  then  release  them  without  fine  or  correction.  This  method 
they  finally  adopted,  which  had  a  much  better  effect  than  their  former 
punishments. 

One  family  of  these  Rogerenes  were  Colvers  or  Culvers,*  consisting 
of  the  father,  John  Colver  and  his  wife,  (who  were  part  of  the  compa- 
ny which  was  treated  so  roughly  at  Norwich,  £c. )  and  five  sons  and 
five  daughters,  who,  with  their  families,  made  up  the  number  of  21 
souls.  This  large  family,  in  the  year  1734,  removed  from  New-Lon- 
don, and  settled  in  New  Jersey.  The  place  they  pitched  upon  for  resi- 
dence was  on  the  east  side  of  Schooly  Mountain,  in  Morris  county. 
They  continued  here  about  three  years,  and  then  went  in  a  body  to 
Barnagot,  in  the  county  of  Monmouth  :  they  continued  there  about 
eleven  years,  and  then  returned  to  Morris  county,  and  settled  on  the 
west  side  of  the  mountain  from  which  they  had  removed. 

In  the  year  1790,  the  R.^erenes  (in  N.  J. )  were  reduced  to  two  old 
persons,  who^e  names  were  Thomas  Colver  and  S.irah  Mann ;  but 
the  posterity  of  John  Colver  are  yet  numerous  in  Morris  county,  and 
have,  most  of  them,  become  reputable  members  of  other  religious  so- 
cieties. 

*'  I  do  not  find  (says  Mr.  Edwards)  that  the  Rogerenes  have  suffer- 

*  Mr.  E:l  wards  spells  it  Culver,  but  I  find  in  Governor  Jenki's  MS.  it  ie 
spelt  Culver. 

VOL.  2.  54* 


426  Indian  Churcles. 

ed  by  fines  and  corporal  punishment  in  New-Jersey,  more  than  once  j 
and  that  was  for  disturbing  a  Presbyterian  congregation  at  Basking- 
ridge  :  in  other  places,  they  have  been  taken  out  of  meeting-houses, 
with  much  pleasantry,  and  shut  up  in  stables,  pen-folds,  (and  once  in 
a  hog-pen)  till  worship  was  over.  Paul  speaks  of  seme  people,  who 
pleased  not  Gud,  and  were  contrary  to  all  men  ;  it  were  uncharitable  to  ap- 
ply this  to  the  Rogerenes  ;  but  facts,  for  the  course  of  1 16  years,  look 
too  much  like  being  contrary  to  all  men  ;  and  as  for  the  spirit  that  ac- 
tuated them,  it  was  as  different  from  the  meek  and  humble  spirit  of 
Je-us,  as  any  two  things  could  be.  It  is  surprising  how  principles,  or 
education,  or  custom,  or  something,  will  make  people  differ  from  oth- 
ers so  greatly,  that  it  is  hard  to  think  they  are  of  the  same  common 
nature,  or  are  the  work  of  the  same  Maker.  Had  the  Rogerenes  lived 
in  the  time  of  the  Cynicks,  they  would  have  been  ranked  with  them." 

Mr.  Backus  says  of  John  Rogers,  that  "  he  intermixed  a  number  of 
precious  truths  with  many  things  of  a  contrary  nature." 

The  Kogereaes,  in  their  language  and  some  other  peculiarities,  re- 
sembled the  Quakers ;  hence  they  were  often  called  Quaker  Baptists. 
They  have,  some  time  ago,  become  extinct  as  a  society.  But  their 
posterity,  under  the  names  of  Rogers,  Bolles,  Sec.  are  still  numerous  ; 
aud  many  of  them  are  not  only  respectable,  but  some  of  them  are  dis- 
tinguished members  of  many  of  the  Baptist  churches  in  different  parts 
of  New- England  and  some  of  the  other  States. 

Since  the  above  was  written,  I  have  learnt  that  there  is  yet  a  small 
company  of  the  Rogerenes  in  Groton,  near  New- London. 

Indian  Churches. 

OF  these  there  have  been  a  few  of  the  Baptist  denomination,  but 
me  it  'fthem,  at  present,  are  either  extinct  or  in  a  declining  state. 
The  oldest  churches  of  the  red  brethren  were  formed  on  the  islands  of 
Martha's  Vineyard  and  Nantucket,  which  are  included  in  the  State  of 
Massachusetts.  A  short  time  previous  to  1680,  some  of  Mr.  May- 
hew  s  converts  on  Martha's  Vineyard  embraced  die  principles  of  the 
Baptists,  and  joined  to  the  churches  in  Newport.  And  with  the  In- 
d';m  converts  to  believers'  baptism  came  an  Englishman  by  the  name 
of  P^ter  Folger,  who  was  a  school- master  among  them.  In  1694,  two 
Indian  churches  had  been  formed,  one  on  the  Vineyard,  and  the  other 
at  Nantucket.  Their  pastor  was  Stephen  Tackamason,  who  died  in 
1 708,  and  is  said  to  have  borne  an  excellent  character,  both  as  a  preach- 
er and  Christian.  The  church  at  the  Vineyard  appears  to  have  been 
formed  at  Gayhead  ;  in  process  of  time  it  branched  out  to  Chappaqui- 
on  the  east  end  of  the  island.  It  is  difficult  to  trace  the  progress 
of  the  .e  three  churches,  which  have  become  reduced  to  one  at  Gay- 
Lead.  ,md  that  in  a  feeble,  declining  state.  Their  preachers,  at  different 
times.,  have  been  Isaac  Decamy,  Jonas  Horswet,  Ephraim  Abraham, 
Samuel  Kakenehew,  Peter  Gilbert,  Silas  Paul,  and  Thomas  Jeffer ; 
the  last  of  whom  is  now  pastor  at  Gayhead,  and  is  esteemed  a  sober, 
worthy  man.  /ill  these  were  ordained  Indian  preachers,  who  have  left 
good  characters  behind  them  ;  and  besides  these  there  have  been,  at 
different  times,  many  unordained  preachers  and  exhorters,  whose  names 
are  not  koown. 


Indian  Churches.  427 

Peter  Folger,  though  not  a  preacher,  was  a  successful  promoter  of 
piety,  learning,  and  believers'  baptism,  among  the  red  men  of  the  islands, 
and  a  daughter  of  his  was  the  mother  of  the  famous  Dr.  Benjamin 
Franklin.* 

At  Charlestown  in  the  Narraganset  country,  in  the  south  part  of 
Rhode-Island,  near  Point  Judith,  an  Indian  church  was  formed  proba- 
bly about  1750.  It  arose  out  of  a  Pedobaptist  church  of  the  Separate 
order,  which  was  gathered  there  in  the  New-Light  stir,  under  the 
ministry  of  a  Mr.  Park.  Its  first  pastor  was  James  Simons,  and  after 
him  was  the  famous  Samuel  Niles,  who  \vas,  in  his  day,  one  of  the 
most  eminent  Indian  preachers  in  America.  Other  preachers  have 
succeeded  him,  but  at  present  they  are  in  a  destitute  and  broken  con- 
dition. In  a  visit,  which  I  paid  them  a  short  time  since,  I  found  a 
number  of  venerable  red  sisters,  who  were  much  engaged  in  the  things 
of  the  kingdom  ;  three  of  them  were  about  seventy  years  of  age.  The 
men  were  ail  absent  on  a  fishing  voyage.  These  Indians  are  the  de- 
scendants of  die  Nyantick  tribe,  whose  chief,  Ninegret,  refused  to  join 
in  king  Philip's  war.f  They  were  once  a  powerful  tribe,  but  are  now 
reduced  to  a  handful.  The  State  has  secured  to  them  a  tract  of  land 
in  Charlestown,  which,  however,  they  do  not  know  how  to  manage  to 
advantage. 

Morgan  Edwards  supposes  that  the  forefathers  of  this  congregation 
were  converted  by  the  labours  of  Roger  Williams,  which  is  not  im- 
probable, as  it  is  known  that  he  laboured  among  them  with  much  as- 
siduity and  some  success.:}: 

Among  the  Mohegan  Indians,  near  New-London,  according  to 
Asplund,  two  churches  were  formed  about  1770:  they  were  upon 
the  open  communion  plan,  and  consisted  of  Baptists  and  Pedobaptists. 
Connected  with  these,  if  I  am  rightly  informed,  was  the  famous  Sam- 
son Occom,  who  afterwards  went  to  New-Stockbridge,  in  New- York. 

At  a  place  called  Brotherton,  now  in  Oneida  county,  New- York,  an 
Indian  church  was  formed  of  baptized  believers  in  1 798.  It  arose  in 
the  following  manner.  Not  far  from  1770,  the  Oneidas,  one  of  the 
Six  Nations,  granted  to  their  destitute  brethren  of  other  tribes  a  large 
tract  of  land  for  their  settlement.  To  it  Indians  repaired  from  Stock- 
bridge,  Long-Island,  from  the  Mohegans,  the  Narragansetts,  and  a 
number  of  other  tribes.  The  tract  was  six  miles  square,  and  was  call- 
ed New-Stockbridge.  Rev.  M.  Sargeant,  a  Pedobaptist  missionary, 
has  long  been  employed  among  them.  Brotherton  is  an  Indian  vil- 
lage adjoining  New-Stockbridge,  in  which  David  Fowler,  a  pious  In- 
dian ol  the  Baptist  persuasion,  settled  in  1776.  Five  others  of  his 
brethren  settled  with  him,  and  by  them  a  meeting  was  maintained 
without  any  church  estate,  until  1798;  then  their  number  had  in- 
creased to  twelve,  which  were  organized  into  a  church  by  their  neigh- 
bouring white  brethren.  Mr.  Fowler  became  its  deacon,  and  was  its 
principal  leader  till  his  death,  which  happened  about  1807.  Since 
that  time  they  have  been  in  a  broken  condition,  and  have,  in  a  meas- 
ure, lost  their  visibility  as  a  church.  Deacon  Fowler  was  from  Long- 

*  Backus,  vol.  i.  p.  437,  439,  and  ii.  p.  166. 
'j  Backus,  vol.  i.  p.  437,  439,  and  ii.  j>.  145. 
'-  MS.  Hist,  of  Rhode-Island,  p.  47. 


428  Keithian  Baptists. 

Island,  and  sustained  an  excellent  character  through  life.  On  the 
same  ground  is  a  Baptist  church  on  the  open  communion  plan,  which 
is  considerably  large,  and  is  under  the  care  of  a  preacher  by  the  name 
of  Wawby  or  Wabby. 

No  great  success  has  hitherto  attended  the  means  used  to  convert  the 
American  Indians.  Their  want  of  a  written  language  has,  in  most 
cases,  proved  an  insurmountable  barrier  to  those  benevolent  white  men, 
who  have  ardently  desired  their  salvation.  Our  aged  brother  Elkanah 
Holmes  laboured  for  some  years  amongst  the  Tuscaroras  and  others 
of  the  Six  Nations.  Most  of  their  chiefs  and  many  of  the  rest  showed 
a  favourable  disposition  towards  the  gospel,  but  very  few  conversions 
were  effected  among  them. 

Keithian  Baptists. 

SOON  after  the  settlement  of  Pennsylvania,  a  difference  arose  among 
the  Quakers,  touching  the  sufficiency  of  what  every  man  has  within  himself 
for  the  purpose  of  his  own  salvation.  Some  denied  that  sufficiency,  and 
consequently  magnified  the  external  Word,  Christ,  &c.  above  Barclay's 
measure.  These  were  headed  by  the  famous  George  Keith,  and  there- 
fore called  Kcitbiant.  The  difference  rose  to  a  division  in  the  year  169  r, 
when  separate  meetings  were  set  up  in  divers  parts  of  the  country,  and 
a.  general  one  at  Burlington  in  opposition  to  that  of  Philadelphia.  This, 
year  they  published  a  Confcs  sion  of  Faith,  containing  twelve  articles,  much 
in  Barclay's  strain,  and  signed  by  George  Keith,  Thomas  Budd,  John, 
Hart,  Richard  Hilliard,  Thomas  Honten,  and  Henry  Furnis,  in  the  be- 
half of  the  rest.  They  also  published  the  reasons  of  the  separation,  &c. 
signed  by  the  same  persons  and  others,  to  the  number  of  48.  About 
the  same  time,  and  afterward,  were  published  several  other  pieces. 
The  design  of  those  publications  was, 

1st.  To  inform  the  world  of  the  principles  of  the  Separate  Quakers. 

2d.  To  fix  the  blame  of  the  separation  on  the  opposite  party. 

3d.  To  complain  of  the  unfair  treatment,  slanders,  fines,  imprison- 
ments, and  other  species  of  persecution,  which  they  endured  from  their 
brethren. 

Whether  these  complaints  be  just  or  not,  is  neither  my  business  nor 
inclination  to  determine.  If  just,  the  Quakers  have  also  shown,  "  That 
every  sect  would  persecute,  had  they  but  power."  1  know  but  one  ex- 
ception to  this  satyrical  remark,  and  that  is  the  Baptists  ;  they  have  had 
civil  power  in  their  hands  in  Rhode-Island  government,  for  an  hundred 
and  thirty-six,  (now  one  hundred  and  seventy-eight)  years,  and  yet  have 
never  abused  it  in  tiiis  manner,  their  enemies  themselves  being  judges. 
And  it  is  remarkable  that  John  Holmes,  Esq.  the  only  Baptist  mag- 
istrate in  Philadelphia,  at  the  time  referred  to,  refused  to  act  with  the 
Quaker  magistrates  against  the  Keithians,  alleging,  "  That  it  was  a 
religious  dispute,  and  therefore  not  fit  for  a  civil  court."  Nay,  he  open- 
ly blamed  the  court,  held  at  Philadelphia,  Dec.  6 — 12,  1692,  for  refu- 
ting to  admit  the  exceptions,  which  the  prisoners  made  to  their  jury, 
However,  the  Keithian  Quakers  soon  declined  ;  their  head  deserted 
them  and  went  over  to  the  Episcopalians.  Some  followed  him  thither  j 
-,ome  returned  to  the  Penn  Quakers  ;  and  some  went  to  other  societies. 
Nevertheless,  many  persisted  in  the  separation,  particularly  at  Upper 


Keltbian  Baptists.  429 

Providence  ;  at  Philadelphia  ;  at  Southampton  ;  and  at  Lower  Dublin. 
Theses  by  resigning  themselves  to  the  guidance  of  Scripture,  began  to 
find  water  in  the  commi.-.sion  ;  bread  and  wine  in  the  command  ;  com- 
munity  of  goods,  love  feast,  kiss  of  charity,  right  hand  of  fellowship, 
anointing  the  sick  for  recovery,  and  washing  the  disciples'  feet ;  and 
therefore  were  determined  to  practise  accordingly. 

The  society  of  Keithians,  most  forward  in  these  matters,  was  that 
kept  at  the  house  of  Thomas  Powell,  in  Upper  Providence  ;  which  for- 
wardness, it  is  said,  was  owing  to  one  Abel  Noble  who  visited  them, 
and  was  a  Seventh-day  Baptist  minister  when  he  arrived  in  this  country. 
The  time  they  began  to  put  their  designs  in  practice,  was  Jan.  28, 
1697,  when  the  said  Abel  Noble  baptized  a  publick  Friend,  whose 
name  was  Thomas  Martin,  in  Kedley-Creek.  Afterwards  Mr.  Martin 
baptized  other  Quakers,  to  the  number  of  1 6.  To  them  joined  one 
William  Beckingham,  who  broke  off  from  the  church  at  Cohan sey. 
These  17  persons  did,  October  12,  1697,  incorporate;  and  proceeded 
to  choose  a  minister  by  lot.  Three  were  put  in  nomination,  William 
Beckingham,  Thomas  Bndd,  and  Thomas  Martin.  The  lot  fell  on 
the  last,  who,  the  same  day,  administered  the  Lord's  supper  to  them, 
for  the  first  time.  Shortly  after,  15  more  of  the  Quakers  were  bap- 
tized, some  of  whom  lived  in  other  parts  of  the  country.  But  in 
1700  a  difference  arose  among  them,  touching  the  Sabbath,  which 
broke  up  the  society.  Such  as  adhered  to  the  observation  of  the  Sev- 
enth day,  kept  together  at  Newtown,  where  some  of  their  posterity 
are  to  this  day.  The  rest  lay  scattered  in  the  neighbourhood,  till  Mr. 
Abel  Morgan  gathered  together  15  of  them,  and  formed  them  into  a 
society,  now  called  the  church  of  Brandyiuine,  belonging  to  the  Phila- 
delphia Association. 

Another  society  of  Keithian  Quakers,  who  kept  together,  was  that 
pf  Philadelphia,  where  they  built  a  meeting-house  in  1(192.  Of 
these,  two  publick  persons  were  baptized  in  1697,  by  Rev.  Thomas 
Kilhngworth,  of  Cohansey.  Their  names  were  William  Davis  and 
Thomas  Rutter.  The  fust  joined  Pennepek  ;  the  other  kept  preach- 
ing in  Philadelphia,  where  he  baptized  one  Henry  Bernard  Hoster, 
Thomas  Peart,  and  seven  others,  whose  names  are  not  on  record. 
These  9  persons  united  in  communion,  June  12,  1698,  having  Thomas 
Rutter  to  their  minister.  They  increased,  and  continued  together 
for  9  years.  But  some  removing  to  the  country,  and  the  unbaptized 
Keithians  falling  off,  the  society  in  a  manner  broke  up  in  1707; 
for  then  the  few  that  remained,  invited  the  regular  Baptists  to  join 
them,  and  v.-eie  incorporated  with  them. 

A  third  society  of  Keithian  Quakers  was  at  Southampton,  in  Bulk's 
county  ;  and  a  fourth  at  Lower  Dublin.  But  many  of  these  societies, 
soon  also  found  water  in  the  commission,  and  were  baptized  ;  and 
having  become  Baptists,  they  were  soon  divided  again,  on  the  disputed 
point  respecting  the  Sabbath.  Those  who  adhered  to  the  observance 
of  the  First-day  Sabbath,  in  both  societies,  united  with  die  church  at 
Pennepek. 

Thus  have  we  seen  that  the  Keithian  Quakers  ended  in  a  kind  of 
transformation  into  Keithian  Baptists  :  they  were  also  called  Qua- 
ker Baptists,  because  they  still  i ruined  the  language,  dress,  and  man- 


430  Tanker  Bap  fists. 

ners  of  the  Quakers.  We  have  seen  also,  that  the  Keithian  or  Quaker 
Baptists  ended  in  another  kind  of  transformation  into  Seventh-day 
Baptists,  though  some  went  among  the  First-day  Baptists  and  other 
societies.  However,  these  were  the  beginning  of  the  Sabbatarians  in 
Pennsylvania.  A  confession  of  faith  was  published  by  the  Keithian 
Baptists  in  1697  :  ll  consists  chiefly  of  the  articles  in  the  Apostles' 
creed.  The  additions  are  articles  which  relate  to  baptism  by  immer- 
sion, the  Lord's  supper;  distinguishing  days  and  months  by  numer- 
ical names,  plainness  of  language  and  dress,  not  swearing,  not  fight- 
ing, &c.  Morgan  Edwards* 

Tunkcr  Baptists. 

"  THFY  are  called  Tuners*  in  derision ;  which  is  as  much  as  to  say, 
Soft,  from  tunker,  to  fut  a  morsel  into  sauce  ;  but  as  the  term  signifies 
Dippers,  they  may  rest  content  with  the  nick-name,  since  it  is  the  fate 
of  Baptists,  in  all  countries,  to  bear  some  cross  or  other.  They  are 
also  called  Tumblers,  from  the  manner  in  which  they  perform  baptism, 
which  is  by  putting  the  party's  head  forward  under  water,  while  kneel- 
in;?;,  so  as  to  resemble  the  motion  of  tlie.body  in  the  action  of  tumbling. 
The  Germans  sound  the  letters  t  and  b  iike  d  and  p;  hence,  the  words 
Tankers  and  Tumblers  have  been  corruptly  written  Dunken  and  Dum- 
pkrs. 

"The  first  appearing  of  these  people  in  America,  was  in  the  fall  of 
the  year  1719.  when  about  20  families  landed  in  Philadelphia,  and 
dispersed  themselves,  some  to  Germantown,  some  to  Skippeck,  some 
to  Cley,  pome  to  Connestogo,  and  elsewhere.  This  dispersion  incapac- 
itated them  to  meet  for  publick  worship  ;  and,  therefore,  they  soon  be- 
gan to  grow  lukewarm  in  religion.  But  in  the  year  1722,  Messrs.  Ba- 
ker, Gomery,  Gantz,  and  the  Trautrs,  visited  their  scattered  brethren, 
which  was  attended  with  a  great  revival,  insomuch  that  societies  were 
formed  wherever  a  number  of  families  were  v/ithin  reach  one  of  anoth- 
er. But  this  lasted  not  above  three  years.  They  settled  on  their  lees 
again,  till  about  thirty  families  more  of  their  persecuted  brethren  ar- 
rived in  the  fail  of  the  year  1729,  which  both  quickened  them  again, 
and  increased  their  number  every  where.  These  two  companies  had 
been  members  of  one  and  the  same  church  which  originated  at 
Schwardzenau  in  the  year  1708.  The  first  constituents  were  Alexan- 
der Mack  and  wife,  John  Kipin  and  wife,  George  Grevy,  Andreas 
Bhoney,  Lucas  Fetter,  and  Joanna  Nethigeim.  These  had  been  bred 
Presbyterians,  except  Kipin,  who  was  a  Lutheran  ;  and,  being  neigh- 
bours, they  consorted  together  to  read  the  Bible,  and  edify  one  anoth- 
er in  the  way  they  had  been  brought  up  ;  for  as  yet  they  did  not  know 
there  were  any  Baptists  in  the  world.  However,  believers'  baptism 
and  a  congregational  church  soon  gained  upon  them,  insomuch  that 
they  were  determined  to  obey  the  gospel  in  these  matters.  They  de- 
sired Alexander  Mack  to  baptize  them  ;  but  he,  deeming  himself  in 
reality  unbaptized,  refused.  Upon  which  they  cast  lots  to  find  who 
should  be  administrator.  On  whom  the  lot  fell  hath  been  carefully 
concealed.  However,  baptized  they  were  in  the  river  Eder  by 
Schwardzcnau,  and  then  formed  themselves  into  H  church ;  choosing 

*  The  word  Tuckers,  in  German,  and  the  word  Baptists,  in  Greek,  and  the 
-word  Dippers,  in  English,  are  exucliy  of  the  same  si^ailicati'jn.  lidrjards. 


Tunker  Baptists.  431 

Alexander  Mack  to  be  their  minister.  They  increased  fast,  and  began 
to  spread  their  branches  to  Merienborn  and  Epstein,  having  JohnNaabS, 
and  Christian  Levy  to  their  ministers  in  those  places.  But  persecution 
quickly  drove  them  thence,  some  to  Holland  and  some  to  Creyfelt. 
Soon  after,  the  mother  church  voluntarily  removed  from  Schward- 
zenau  to  Serustervin  in  Friezland,  and  from  thence  migrated  to- 
wards America,  in  1719.  And  in  1729,  those  of  Creyfelt  and  Holland 
followed  their  brethren. 

"  Thus  we  see  that  all  the  Tunker  churches  in  America  sprang 
from  the  church  at  Schwardzenau  in  Germany;  that  that  church  began 
in  1708,  with  only  seven  souls,  and  that  in  a  place  where  no  Baptist 
had  been  in  the  memory  of  man,  nor  any  now  are.  In  62  years  that 
little  one  became  a  thousand,  and  that  small  one  a  great  nation. 

"  It  is  very  hard  to  give  a  true  account  of  the  principles  of  these 
Tunkers,  as  they  have  not  published  any  system  or  creed,  except  what 
two  individuals  have  put  forth,  which  have  not  been  publickly  avowed. 
However,  I  may  assert  the  following  things  concerning  them  from 
my  own  knowledge.  They  are  General  Baptists,  in  the  sense  which 
that  phrase  bears  in  Great- Britain  ;  but  not  Arians  nor  Socinians,  as 
most  of  their  brethren  in  Holland  are.  General  redemption  they  cer- 
tainly hold ;  and,  withal,  general  salvation  ;  which  tenets,  though 
wrong,  are  consistent.  They  use  great  plainness  of  language  and 
dress,  like  the  Quakers  ;  and  like  them  they  will  neither  swear  nor 
fight.  They  will  not  go  to  law,  nor  take  interest  for  the  money  they 
lend.  They  commonly  wear  their  beards  ;  and  keep  the  First-day 
Sabbath,  except  one  congregation.  They  have  the  Lord's  supper, 
with  its  ancient  attendants  of  love-feasts,  washing  feet,  kiss  of  charity, 
and  right  hand  of  fellowship.  They  anoint  the  sick  with  oil  for  re- 
covery ;  and  use  the  trine  immersion  of  laying-on-of-hands  and  prayer, 
even  while  the  person  baptized  is  in  the  water  ;  which  may  easily  be 
done,  as  the  party  kneels  doxvn  to  be  baptized,  and  continues  in  that 
posture  till  both  prayer  and  imposition  of  hands  be  performed.  But 
though  their  baptism  be  well  contrived  for  trine  immersion,  yet  it  loses 
its  resemblance  of  a  burial.  Their  church  government  is  purely  re- 
publican, and  their  discipline  the  same  with  those  of  the  English  Bap- 
tists, except  that  in  Maryland  they  have  a  supeiintendant,  whose  name 
is  Daniel  Leatherman  :  to  him  is  referred  the  decision  of  variances 
among  the  ministers  and  people  ;  and  as  the  Tunkers  call  all  their  or- 
dained ministers  Bishops,  it  follows  that  Leatherman  holds  the  rank  of 
Archbishop.  Every  brother  is  allowed  to  stand  up  in  the  congregation 
to  speak,  in  a  way  of  exhortation  and  expounding  ;  and  when  by  these 
means  they  find  a  man  eminent  for  knowledge  and  aptness  to  teach, 
they  choose  him  to  be  a  minister,  and  ordain  him  with  imposition  of 
hands,  attended  with  fasting  and  prayer,  and  giving  the  right  hand  of 
fellowship.  They  also  have  deacons  ;  and  ancient  women  for  deacon- 
esses ;  and  exhorters,  who  are  licensed  to  use  their  gifts  statedly. 
They  pay  not  their  ministers,  unless  it  be  in  the  way  of  presents, 
though  they  admit  their  right  to  pay ;  neither  do  the  ministers  assert 
the  right,  esteeming  it  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive.  1  'heir  ac- 
quaintance with  the  Bible  is  admirable.  In  a  word,  they  are  meek 
and  pious  Christians,  and  have  justly  acquired  the  ch^rac'-  r  of  the 
Harmless  Tunkers. 


432  Tunker  Baptists. 

"  Of  these  there  are  in  Pennsylvania  15  churches  ;  to  which  appe;- 
tain  8  ordained  ministers,  and  13  exhorters  or  probationers,  and  4 
meeting-houses.  The  reason  of  their  having  no  more  places  of  worship 
is,  that  they  choose  rather  to  meet  from  house  to  house,  in  imitation  of 
the  primitive  Christians.  Their  number  of  families  is  about  4 1  o,  which, 
allowing  five  to  a  family,  contain  about  2095  souls,  whereof  763  are 
baptized  and  in  communion." 

These  Tunker  churches  were  situated  at  different  distances,  in  a 
western  direction  from  Philadelphia,  and  but  few  of  them  were  over  a 
hundred  miles  from  that  city.  Mr.  Edwards  has  given  a  particular 
history  of  each  of  them,  the  most  remarkable  of  which,  and  the  only 
one  whose  history  we  shall  here  relate,  is  that  at  Ephrata. 

"  This  church  is  distinguished  by  the  above  name,  which  is  the 
name  of  the  village  where  it  exists,  in  Cocolico  township,  and  Lancas- 
ter county,  60  miles  to  the  westward  of  Philadelphia.  The  same  vil- 
lage is  frequently  called  Tunhers  town.  It  consists  of  between  30  and 
40  buildings,  and  stands  on  a  parcel  of  land  containing  155  acres. 
The  land  is  formed  into  a  triangle  by  the  crossings  of  the  Paxton  and 
Lancaster  roads,  and  Cocolico  river.  The  places  of  worship  in  the 
village  are  three.  One,  called  Sharon,  adjoins  the  sisters'  apartment 
by  way  of  chapel.  The  other,  called  Bethany,  is  a  chapel  belonging 
to  the  apartments  of  the  brethren,  where  they  resort  to  worship,  morn- 
ing and  evening,  and  sometimes  in  the  night,  as  the  sisters  ako  do  in 
the  other  chapel.  The  third  is  a  common  church,  called  Zion,  built 
on  the  summit  of  a  little  hiil,  about  200  yards  distant  from  the  other. 
Here  the  single  brethren  and  single  sisters,  the  married  "people  and 
their  children,  meet  once  a  week  for  publick  worship.  The  brethren 
have  adopted  the  dress  of  the  white  friars,  with  some  alteration,  and 
the  sisters  that  of  the  nuns  ;  and  both,  like  them,  have  taken  the  vow 
of  celibacy.  But  some  break  through  the  vow  :  then  they  quit  their 
cells,  and  go  to  the  neighbourhood  among  the  married  people.  All 
the  fraternity  wear  their  beards.  Tneir  livelihood  they  get  by  culti- 
vating the  land,  by  a  printing-office,  by  a  grist-mill,  a  paper-mill,  an 
oil-mill,  &c.  and  the  sisters  by  spinning,  weaving,  sewing,  &c.  They 
slept  at  first  on  board  couches  with  blocks  for  pillows,  but  now  sleep  on 
beds,  and  have  otherwise  abated  much  of  the  severity  of  their  order. 
They  keep  the  seventh  day  of  the  week  for  Sabbath,  to  which  their 
founder  had  been  proselyted  by  the  remains  of  the  Keithian  Bap- 
lists,  particularly  Rev.  Thomas  Rutter,  who,  in  this  affair,  was  the  dis- 
ciple of  Abel  Noble. 

"From  the  uncouth  dress,  the  recluse  and  asceticklife  of  these  people, 
sour  aspects  and  rough  manners  might  be  expected;  but  on  the  contra- 
ry, a  smiling  innocence  and  meekness  grace  their  countenances,  and  a 
softness  of  tone  and  accent  adorn  their  conversation,  and  make  their 
deportment  gentle  and  obliging.  Their  singing  is  charming,  partly 
owing  to  the  pleasantness  of  their  voices,  the  variety  of  parts  they  carry 
on  together,  and  the  devout  manner  of  performance.  The  families 
belonging  to  the  society  are  about  40,  whereof  about  135  persons,  in- 
cluding the  single  brethren  and  sisters,  are  baptized  and  in  communion. 
This  was  their  state  in  1770.  They  had  their  existence  as  a  society, 
on  Nov  !2,  1724,  when  Conrad  Beissel,  Joseph  Shaffer,  John  Moyer 
and  wife,  Henrick  Hehn  and  wile,  and  Veronica  Frederick,  were  bap- 


Tunksr  Baptists.  433 

tized  in  Pequea  liver  by  Rev.  Peter  Baker.  The  same  day,  these  seren 
incorporated  into  a  church,  and  chose  Conrad  Beissel  to  be  their  min- 
ister. After  this,  they  continued  some  time  at  Mill-Creek  ;  and  then, 
removing  about  three  miles  northward,  pitched  on  the  land  of  Rudolph 
Neagley,  in  Earl  township.  Here  they  continued  about  seven  years, 
and  hither  resorted  many  to  see  them,  some  of  which  joined  their 
society.  Here  they  began  their  economy,  the  men  living  by  them- 
selves on  the  fore-mentioned  lands,  and  the  women  also  by  themselves 
on  the  adjoining  lands  of  John  Moyly.  Here  Conrad  Beissel  appoint- 
ed two  elders  and  a  matron  to  preside  over  his  church  in  the  wilder- 
ness, binding  them  by  a  solemn  promise,  and  at  the  same  time  giving 
to  each  a  Testament,  to  govern  according  to  the  rules  of  that  book* 
Then  he  withdrew,  and  made  as  though  they  should  see  him  no  more. 
This  was  done  in  1733.  He  travelled  northward  till  he  came  to  th« 
spot  where  Ephrata  or  Tunkerstown  now  stands,  and  with  his  hoc 
planted  Indian  corn  and  roots  for  his  subsistence.  But  he  had  not 
been  long  in  the  place,  before  the  society  found  him  out,  and  repaired 
to  his  little  cot ;  the  brethren  settling  with  him  on  the  west  banks  of 
Cocolico,  and  the  sisters  on  the  east,  all  in  sight  of  one  another,  with  the 
river  running  between  them.  The  next  year  they  set  about  building 
their  village,  beginning  with  a  place  of  worship.  The  village  is  in- 
closed with  a  large  ditch,  and  fortified  with  posts,  and  rails,  and 
quicksets." 

The  author  of  the  foregoing  account  has  also  given  biographical 
sketches  of  the  ministers  by  which  these  churches  were  supplied.  The 
most  distinguished  of  which,  were  Alexander  Mack,  Conrad  Beissel, 
and  Peter  Miller. 

"ALEXANDER  MACK,  was  born  in  the  year  1680  at  Schrisheim,  ifl 
Germany.  He  was  educated  a  Calvinist,  but  embraced  the  Baptist 
principles,  in  1708,  arrived  in  this  country,  with  many  of  his  congre- 
gation, in  1729,  and  became  a  minister  of  Beggarstown,  in  the  town- 
ship of  Germantown,  near  Philadelphia,  the  same  year,  where  he  con- 
tinued till  he  died^in  1735-  Mr.  Mack  was  a  man  of  real  piety. 
He  had  a  handsoffe  patrimony  at  Schrisheim,  with  a  profitable  mill 
and  vineyards  thereon  ;  but  he  spent  all  in  raising  and  maintaining  his 
church  at  Schwardzenau,  whereof  he  was  father,  and  father  of  all  the 
Tunkers. 

"C0NRAD  BEISSEL,  founder  of  the  society  at  Ephrata.  This  was 
his  real  name ;  but  when  he  became  a  Baptist,  he  assumed  the  name  of 
Freidsam  Gottrechf;,  and  gave  new  names  to  all  the  brethren  and  sisters. 
He  was  born  in  1690,  at  Eberback,  in  Germany.  Bred  a  Presbyterian. 
Arrived  in  Boston,  in  1720.  Thence  he  and  his  two  companions, 
Stunts  and  Steifrel,  travelled  '.vest ward  to  Pennsylvania,  and  lived  as 
hermits  about  Mill-Creek,  and  the  Swede-Spring  in  Lancaster  county. 
He  embraced  the  principles  of  the  Baptists  in  1724.  Died  July  6, 
1768,  and  was  buried  at  Ephrata. 

As  for  his  character,  I  give  it  in  the  words  of  one  who  knew  him 
well.  "  He  was  very  strict  in  his  morals,  and  practised  self-denial 

VOL.  2.  55 


434  Tunktr  Baptists. 

and  mortification  to  an  uncommon  degree.  Enthusiastick  and  whim- 
sical, he  certainly  was;  but  an  appaient  devoutness  and  sincerity  rail 
through  all  his  oddities.  He  was  not  an  adept  in  any  of  the  liberal 
arts  and  sciences,  except  musick,  in  which  he  excelled.  He  composed 
and  s-et  to  musick,  in  three,  four,  six,  and  eight  parts,  a  folio  volume 
of  hymns,  and  another  of  anthems.  He  published  a  dissertation  on 
the  fall  of  man,  in  the  mysterious  strain  ;  also  a  volume  of  letters. 
He  Heft  behind,  several  books  in  manuscript,  curiously  written  and 
embellished." 

PET**.  MILLE*.  He  was  born  in  1709',  in  the  bailiwick  of  Kaifer- 
lautern,  in  Germany  ;  had  his  education  in  the  University  at  Heiide- 
bera: ;  came  to  this  country  in  1730,  and  settled  with  the  Dutch  Presby- 
terians in  Philadelphia:  there  he  was  ordained  by  Rev.  Messrs.  Ten- 
nant  Boyd,  and  Andrews,  the  same  year.  He  embraced  the  principles 
of  the  Baptists  in  1735.  and  in  1744  received  another  ordination  from 
kev.  Conrad  Beissel,  to  be  prior  of  the  society  at  Ephrata.  Dr.  Doug- 
las, in  his  history  of  the  provinces,  saith,  that  he  is  a  good  scholar,  and 
writes  fine  latin."* 

The  main  body  of  Tunker  Baptists  in  America  are,  at  present,  as 
they  ever  have  been,  in  Pennsylvania.  But  besides  those  in  that  State, 
there  were,  in  the  year  1770,  according  to  Mr.  Edwards,  (who  took 
unwearied  pains  to  learn  their  history,  and  ascertain  their  numbers)  in 
Maryland,  4  churches  of  these  people,  in  which  were  9  ministers,  and 
382  members.  The  number  of  families,  out  of  which  the  4  churches 
were  collected  was  169. 

In  Virginia  were  2  churches  which  contained  together  56  members. 
The  number  of  ministers  was  3,  and  the  families  100. 

In  North- Carolina  were  3  churches,  4  ministers,  88  families,  and 
100  members. 

In  South-Carolina,  there  were  at  the  same  time  3  churches,  but  one 
minister,  whose  name  was  David  Martin.  He  was  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  is  said  to  have  been  a  man  of  some  distinction,  and  t» 
have  borne  an  excellent  character.  The  families  were  63,  and  the 
number  of  members  108. 

There  was,  also,  a  church  of  the  Tunkers  at  Amwell,  in  New-Jer- 
sey, which  was  formed  in  the  year  1733  ;  it  is  now  in  a  comfortable 
condition. 

From  the  whole,  it  appears  by  Mr.  Edwards,  that  there  were  of  the 
Tunkers,  in  America,  about  40  years  ago,  28  churches,  in  which  (ex- 
cepting the  one  in  New-Jersey)  were  14^5  communicants  ;  and  that 
to  these  churches,  appertained  upwards  'of  20  ordained  ministers  or 
bisbnp-,,  and  nearly  the  same  number  of  exhorters.  And  the  number 
of  1'unker  families  was  669,  which,  allowing  five  to  a  family,  Mr. 
Edwards's  uniform  and  probably  correct  mode  of  computation,  makes 
the  whole  population  of  the  Tunkers  3345- 

By  a  statement  of  Mr  Edwards  for  1790,  it  appears,  that  of 
the  Tanker  Baptists  there  was  at  that  time  one  church  in  New  Jersey, 
1 5  in  Pennsylvania,  7  in  Maryland,  and  in  the  more  southern  States, 

*  Edwards's  History  of  the  Baptists  in  Pennsylvania,  p.  64—90. 


Tunker  Baptists.  435 

10  ;  making  in  all  33  ;*  so  that  they  had  received  the  addition  of  five 
•hurdies  in  20  years.  But  what  has  been  their  progress  since  the  last- 
mentioned  date,  or  what  is  their  present  situation  as  to  numbers,  &c.  I 
have  not  been  able  to  learn.  I  am  informed  by  Dr.  Rogers  of  Phila- 
delphia, and  others,  that  *•  it  is,  at  present,  a  fixed  principle  with  them, 
to  make  no  communication  ;  and  that  they  feel  hurt  when  interroga- 
ted respecting  their  society."  Indeed,  they  have  always  been  shy  of 
the  English,  and  suspicious  of  encroachment  and  exposure  ;  and  under 
these  circumstances,  it  is  surprising  how  Mr.  Edwards,  without  an  ac- 
quaintance with  the  German  language,  could  gain  »uch  correct  and 
extensive  information  respecting  them,  as  he  has  recorded  in  his  his- 
torical  works. 

Many  of  the  churches  mentioned  by  him  have  become  extinct,  and 
ethers  have  suffered  great  diminutions,  and  it  is  generally  believed  that 
their  society  is  declining ;  but  still  they  are  considerably  numerous  in 
Pennsylvania  and  Maryland,  and  small  detachments  of  them  are  to  be 
found  in  most  of  the  southern  and  western  States.  While  they  have 
declined  in  some  places,  and  become  extinct  in  others,  they  have  emi- 
grated to  remoter  regions,  and  formed  new  establishments,  some  of 
which  are  very  large.  One  of  these  is  in  the  Allegany  Mountains,  in 
Somerset  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  a  place  called  Brothers'  Valley, 
near  the  town  of  Berlin,  about  200  miles  westward  of  Philadelphia. 
There  is,  also,  another  large  society  in  the  Red-stone  county,  beyond 
the  mountains,  on  Jacob's-Creek,  in  the  counties  of  Fayette  and  West- 
moreland. It  is  believed,  that  some  other  societies  have  been  formed 
in  Pennsylvania,  since  Mr.  Edwards's  account  was  taken  ;  but  I  have 
been  able  to  learn  nothing  respecting  them. 

These  people  have  also  become  adventurers  to  the  western  State? 
of  Ohio  and  Kentucky ;  and  some  of  them,  I  have  been  informed, 
have  settled  not  far  from  Detroit,  in  the  Michigan  Territory. 

The  following  anecdote  of  a  preacher  from  that  country,  by  the 
name  of  John  Messemer,  was  related  to  me  by  the  Rev.  David  Jones, 
of  the  Great  Valley,  Pennsylvania,  to  whom  it  was  related  by  Mr. 
Messemer  himself. 

"  While  visiting  my  brethren  in  these  parts,"  (said  the  Tunker  in 
his  broken  English)  "  I  thought  I  would  go  to  de  city  of  Philadelphia, 
and  hear  some  of  de  preachers  dere.  I  first  went  to  hear  de  Univer- 
salists  ;  and  I  found  dey  preach  no  hell  dere,  but  dey  seem  have  no  re- 
ligion too.  I  neit  go  to  hear  de  Methodists,  and  dey  preach  all  hell, 
but  dey  seem  have  good  deal  religion  too.  I  next  go  to  hear  de  Bap- 
tists, and  dey  preach  some  bell  and  some  teaven,  and  this  I  thought 
was  de  rightest  way." 

It  is  difficult  to  say  what  are  the  definite  doctrinal  sentiments  of 
the  Tunkers  ;  it  is  said,  however,  that  they  hold  the  doctrine  of  uni- 
versal salvation,  and  hence  they  are  often  called  Universalists  ;  but 
this  sentiment  they  are  not  forward  to  advance,  nor  strenuous  to  de- 
fend ;  and  it  is  probable  they  maintain  it  with  some  peculiar  qualifi- 
cations. 

The  Tunkers  still  maintain  their  former  simplicity,  and  most  of 
those  distinguished  religious  maxims  and  peculiar  domestick  habits, 

*  Edwards's  History  of  the  Baptists  in  New-Jersev,  p.  liT 


436  Mennoniics. 

which  Mr.  Edwards  ascribes  to  them.  But  by  the  best  information  I 
can  gain,  they  have  much  depreciated  as  to  vital  religion,  and  appear 
too  generally  contented  with  keeping  up  their  external  forms,  while  but 
little  of  the  power  of  godliness  is  to  be  found  amongst  them.  But  as 
they  have  not  conformed  to  the  unscriptural  traditions  of  men,  but 
have,  in  the  midst  of  their  lukewarmness  and  declension,  preserved  es- 
sentially the  primitive  mode  of  administering  the  ordinance  of  Bap- 
tism, we  shall  give  them  a  place  among  the  American  Baptists. 

Menncnites. 

"THESE  have  their  denomination  from  the  personal  name  of  Men- 
no  Simon,  a  native  of  Witmars,  and  a  man  of  parts  and  learning,  who 
carried  the  reformation  one  step  farther  than  either  Luther  or  Calvin  ; 
and  who,  no  doubt,  would  have  been  ranked  with  the  chief  reform- 
ers, had  there  not  been  some  cross-grained  fatality  attending  the  lau- 
dable deeds  of  Baptists,  to  prevent  their  having,  in  this  world,  the 
praise  they  deserve.     He  was  born  in  the  year  1505.     Got  into  or- 
ders in   1528.     Continued  a  famous  preacher  and  disputer  to  1531, 
when  he  began  to  suspect  the  validity  of  many  things  in  the  church 
cf  Rome,  and  among  the  rest,  that  of  infant  baptism.     He  discovered 
his  suspicions  first  to  the  doctors  of  his  own  fraternity  ;  but  they, 
resolving  all  to  the  authority  of  the  church,  relieved  him  not.     Then 
he  visited  Luther  and  many  besides,  who  had,  at  the  time,  avowed 
the  word  of  God  to  be  the  only  rule  of  faith  and  practice  in  relig- 
ious concernments.     What  satisfaction  they  gave  him,  touching  oth- 
er matters,  I  do  not  find  ;  but  their  grounding  infant  baptism  on 
consequences  and  expedience,  rather  than  on  any  express  precept  or 
precedent,  increased  his  suspicion.     He  then  betook  himself  to  the 
close  study  of  the  New-Testament  and  ecclesiastical  history  ;  and  find- 
ing no  traces  of  it  in  the  first  and  second  century,  nor  yet  in  the 
word  of  God  ;  and  strong  indications  of  believer?  baptism  in  both,  he 
renounced  the  former,  and  embraced  the  principles  of  the  Baptists, 
notwithstanding  the   disgrace  which  the  profession  had  been  brought 
under  by  the  appearance  of  some  Baptists  in  the  insurrection  of  those 
times,  which  were  common  throughout  most  parts  of  Germany.* 
These  insurrections  were  not  of  the  religious  kind,  but  struggles  of 
the  people  for  civil  liberty  against  the  tyranny  and  oppression  of  the 
princes.     In  some  of  these,  not  a  Protestant  of  any  denomination  was 
found.     In  none  of  them  were  the  Protestant  Baptists  either  the  agi- 
tators or  the  most  r.umerous  ;  no,  not  in  that  of  Munster.     The  con- 
trivers of  this,  and  the  first  that  appeared  in  it,  are  well  knoVm  to  be 
of  other  denominations  ;  and  though  three  Baptists,  one  by  his  wealth, 
and  the  other  two  by  their  superior 'skill  and  courage,  became  princi- 
pals in  fighting  the  tyrant  and  defending  the  town,  yet,  had  they  not 
the   quilt  of  the  plotters  rev   of  the   first  insurgents  ;  nor  were  the 
Bapti.-ts,  under  their  command,  many,  in  comparison  of  the  other  citi- 
zens and  boors  which  made  the  whole  body  of  the  madmtn  of  Mimster, 
us  they  are  called.     Nevertheless,  the  blame  of  the  whole,  is  fixed  on 
ihe  Baptists,  contrary  to  all  fair  dealing  and  the  historical  evidence  of 

*  fa\  cmi.es  fere  german;s  partes  Uac  contagio  pervask. 

Slcidans  Hist,  b.  4./>.  U$. 


Mennonites.  437 

facts,  and  follows  them  to  this  day  even  in  foreign  countries.  Menno 
continued  preaching  and  planting  churches  in  the  vaikms  parts  of  the 
low  countries,  for  a  course  of  about  thirty  years,  and  died  in  peace, 
January  31,  1561,  after  having  been  hunted  like  a  partridge  on  the 
mountain  by  both  Protestants  and  Papists.  The  faith  and  order  of 
this  eminent  reformer  may  in  some  measure  be  gathered  from  the 
fragments  of  his  works  which  are  now  extant.  A  General  Baptist,  as 
that  character  is  understood  in  Great-Britain,  he  certainly  wat;  btil 
I  have  not  seen  sufficient  evidence  of  his  being  what  is  now  called 
an  Arian  or  Socinian.  I  rather  think  that  the  term  Arminian  or 
Remonstrant,  would  better  suit  his  religious  sentiments.  But  the 
Mennonites  in  Pennsylvania,  and  in  other  parts  of  the  world,  have 
somewhat  deviated  from  Menno,  in  matters  both  of  faith  and  practice  ; 
particularly  in  that  of  baptism.  He,  in  his  Declaration  concerning 
Christian  baptism  in  water,  printed  in  1539,  page  24,  expressly  saith, 
"  After  we  have  searched  ever  so  diligently,  we  shall  find  no  other 
baptism  besides  dipping  in  water,  which  is  acceptable  to  God,  and  main- 
tained in  his  word."  After  which  he  adds,  page  39,  "  Let  who  will 
oppose,  this  is  the  only  mode  of  baptism  that  Christ  Jesus  instituted, 
and  the  Apostles  taught  and  practised."  Accordingly  Menno  was 
dipped,  and  did  dip  others.  His  successors  did  the  same,  except  when 
they  made  proselytes  in  prisons,  or  were  hindered  from  going  to  rivers  ; 
and  this  they  excused  from  a  consideration  of  necessity  ;  just  as  Cyp- 
rian, in  his  69th  epistle,  excuses  the  usage  of  sprinkling  or  pouring  in- 
stead of  dipping,  because  the  subjects  were  confined  to  their  beJs, 
which  made  it  be  called  Clinical  Baptism.  But,  as  in  Africa  so  in  Eu- 
rope, what  was  done  at  first,  out  of  a  supposed  necessity,  became  af- 
terwards to  be  practised  out  of  choice.  What  excused  the  Mennon- 
ites in  Europe,  excuse  them  not  in  Pennsylvania.  In  the  former  they 
made  converts  in  prisons,  whom  they  could  not  lead  to  the  water,  and 
therefore  fetched  water  to  them.  In  the  former  they  were  hindered 
from  going  to  rivers,  and  therefore  did  as  well  as  they  could  in  the 
inner  chambers  ;  but  in  Pennsylvania,  every  one  may  do  what  is  right 
in  his  own  sight,  without  either  fear  or  shame.  It  is  earnestly  prayed, 
therefore,  that  the  Mennonites  of  America  will  return  to  follow  Menno 
in  an  affair  wherein  he  was  so  eminent  a  follower  of  Christ,  and  his 
Apostles ;  especially  as  so  many  of  the  common  people  have  desired  a 
restoration  of  immersion,  and  have  gone  off  to  the  Tunkers  for  the 
want  of  it.  Touching  the  subjects  of  baptism,  the  Mennonites  still 
retain  their  integrity,  by  administering  the  ordinance  to  none  but  those 
who  profess  faith  and  repentance,  and  make  vows  of  subjection  to  the 
Gospel  of  Christ  ;  which  keeps  up  the  distinction  between  world  and 
church  ;  for  where  baptizing  infants  prevails,  there  can  be  no  world, 
all  are  church  ;  but  they  do  not  prefer  dipping.  Their  common  meth- 
od is  this :  The  person  to  be  baptized  kneels  ;  the  minister  holds  his 
hands  over  him,  into  which  the  deacon  pours  water,  and  through 
which  it  runs  on  the  crown  of  the  kneeling  person's  head  ;  after  which 
follow  imposition  of  hands,  and  prayer.  The  parents  sometimes  insist 
on  their  children's  being  baptized  before  they  will  consent  to  their 
marriage  ;  which  I  wish  they  would  not,  lest  any  be  forced  to  a 
thing,  which  should  be  a  matter  of  personal  choice,  following  convic- 
tions and  calls  of  conscience ;  for  then  only  is  baptism  what  it  should 
be,  the  answer  of  a  good  sonscience  towards  Cod.  i  Peter,  iii.  $i. 


438  Mennonitcs. 

"  Th«  principles  and  practices  of  the  Mennbnites  in  Pennsylvania 
may  be  seen  in  their  Confession  of  Faith,  published  at  Philadelphia,  in 
1727.  This  confession,  as  far  as  it  goes,  is  orthodox  ;  and  is  no  other 
than  a  translation  of  that  framed  and  published  at  Dordrecht,  in  1632, 
by  deputies  from  all  the  Mennonires  in  Einope.  But  as  the  book  is 
scarce,  I  may  be  allowed  to  mention  some  particulars. 

"The  Mennonites  do  not,  like  the  Tunkers,  hold  the  doctrine  of 
general  salvation  ;  yet,  like  them,  they  will  neither  swear  nor  fight,  nor 
bear  any  civil  office,  nor  go  to  law,  nor  take  interest  for  the  money 
they  lend,  (though  many  break  through  this  last.)  Some  of  them  yet 
wear  their  beards;  nor  are  the  ancient  rites  of  washing  feet.  &c.  wholly 
out  of  use  among  them.  They,  like  the  Tunkers,  use  great  plainness 
of  speech  and  dress.  This  last  is  so  capital  a  point  with  them,  that 
some  have  been  expelled  from  their  societies,  for  having  buckles  to 
their  shoes,  and  pocket-holes  to  their  coats.  Their  chuich  government* 
like  that  of  all  Baptists,  is  wholly  democratical  or  republican.  Their 
ministers  they  choose  by  balloting  ;  and  when  two  or  more  are  thus 
nominated,  they  leave  it  to  the  decision  of  lots,  which  shall  be  the  man. 
They  do  not  pay  them  ;  nor  do  their  ministers  assert  their  right  to  a 
livelihood  from  the  Gospel.  They  are  put  into  their  office,  by  the  lay- 
ing on  of  the  hands  of  the  presbytery,  attended  with  fasting  and  prayer. 
They  call  their  ordained  ministers  bishops,  which  term,  though  as  scrip- 
tural as  pastor, elder,  &c.  other  dissenters  avoid,  ab  if  they  were  conscious 
that  the  proper  office  of  bishop  is  not  among  them.  The  brothers  are  al- 
lowed to  speak  in  the  church  by  way  of  exhortation  or  expounding,  but 
are  not  permitted  to  preach  publickly,  till  they  obtain  license  from  the 
church.  These  they  call  preachers,  helps,  exhorters.  Their  aim  in 
America,  is  to  have  a  pious  ministry  rather  than  a  learned  one ;  but  in 
Europe  they  covet  both,  and  have  a  college  among  them  for  the  pur- 
pose.* The  epithets  which  these  people  give  themselves  in  their  writ- 
ings are,  Harmless  Christians^  Revengelesi  Christians,  Weaponless  Christians, 
&c.  and  as  such  are  they  considered  by  the  rulers  ot  the  province,  and 
by  those  of  ether  States.  Remarkable,  on  this  subject  are  the  words 
of  the  Dutch  ambassador  (Van  Benning)  to  Monsieur  de  Turenne  : 
««  The  Mennonites  are  good  people,  and  the  most  commodious  to  a 
State  of  any  in  the  world ;  partly  because  they  do  not  aspire  to 
places  of  dignity  ;  partly  because  they  edify  the  community  by  the 
simplicity  of  their  manners,  and  application  to  arts  and  industry  ;  and 
partly  because  we  fear  no  rebellion  from  a  sect,  who  make  it  an  article 
of  their  faith  never  to  bear  arms."  Their  industry  and  frugality 
they  carried  with  them  to  Pennsylvania,  and  thereby  are  become  very 
wealthy.  Some  Mennonite  families  were  in  the  province  as  early  as 
the  year  1692,  who  came  hither  from  New. York  government,  which 
at  first  belonged  to  the  Dutch,  and  was  called  New-Netherlands,  ex- 
tending from  the  river  Delaware  to  the  river  oi  Connecticut.  They  set- 
tled in  the  neighbourhood,  now  called  Germantown  and  Frankfort,  &c. 
Other  families  soon  followed ;  and  after  them  many  came  directly  from 
Europe,  insomuch  that  May  23,  1708,  there  was  a  church  settled  at 
Germantown,  consisting  of  52  member!-,  which  exists  to  this  day,  and 
is  not  only  the  first  in  the  province,  but,  in  some  sort,  the  mother  ef  all 

*  At  Amsterdam. 


Tunker  Baptists.  439 

the  res.t.  In  about  16  years  after,  this  church  had  branched  out  to 
Skippek,  Conestogo,  Great-Swamp,  and  Monatony,  and  become  five 
churches ;  to  which  appertained  16  ministers,  viz.  Rev.  Messrs.  Jacob 
Goottschalk,  Henry  Kolb,  Martin  Kolb,  Cleas  Johnsen,  Michael  Zei- 
gler,  John  Gorgas,  John  Conerads,  Cleas  Rittinghausen,  Hans  Burg- 
hahzer,  Christian  Heer,  Benedict  HircHy,  Martin  Beer,  Johnnes  Bo\v- 
man,  Velter  Clemer,  Daniel  Langanecker,  and  Jacob  Beghtly.  The 
present  ( 1 770)  state  of  the  Mennonites  in  this  province  is  as  follows  : 
ist,  Their  churches,  which  contain  many  branches,  are  13.  ad,  The 
meeting-houses  belonging  to  them  are  42.  3d,  Their  ordained 
ministers  or  bishops  are  15.  4th,  Their  probationary  or  licensed 
preachers  are  53.  5th,  The  families  are  about  Rio,  which,  allowing 
5  to  a  family,  contain  4050  souls  ;  whereof  1448  persons  are  baptized 
and  members  of  their  churches.  This  account,  I  believe,  is  pretty  ex- 
act, except  the  county  of  Lancaster  hath  introduced  any  error  into  it ; 
for  in  that  county  I  have  not  met  with  as  much  readiness  to  give  me 
the  information  I  sought,  as  in  the  other  counties  ;  owing,  I  believe  to 
a  suspicion,  that  a  knowledge  of  their  state  would  some  way  or  other 
be  to  their  prejudice. 

"  In  the  year  1 743,  the  Mennonites  began  a  settlement  in  Frederick 
county,  Maryland,  56  miles  N.  W.  from  Annapolis,  and  122  S.W.  from 
Philadelphia;  and  in  1770,  according  to  Mr.  Edwards's  account, 
their  society  had  increased  to  about  400  families,  in  which,  allowing  5 
to  a  family,  were  2000  souls,  whereof  861  were  baptized.  In  this 
large  community  were  five  ordained  ministers  or  bishops.  The  Men- 
nonites, also  founded  a  society  in  Augusta  county,  Virginia,  in  the 
year  175  2,  which,  at  the  time  above-mentioned,  had  increased  to  about 
100  families,  whereof  52  were  baptized."* 

From  the  foregoing  accounts  it  appears,  that  there  were  ef  the  Men- 
nonites in  America,  in  the  year  1770,  15  churches;  about  20  ordained 
ministers  or  bishops,  as  they  call  them  ;  between  50  and  60  probation- 
ary or  licensed  preachers  ;  2361  communicants  ;  1310  families  ;  and, 
allowing  5  to  a  family,  6550  souls.  Their  number  has  probably  de- 
creased since  that  period,  although  they  are  at  present  considerably 
numerous.  But  as  they  have  chaneed  the  administration  of  baptism, 
from  immersion  to  affusion,  and  thereby  not  only  departed  from  the 
only  scriptural  mode  of  administering  this  ordinance,  but  also  from 
the  example  of  the  noble  founder  of  this  sect,  we  shall  wholly  leave 
them  cut  in  our  enumeration  of  the  American  Baptists. 

*  Erfjwards's  History  of  the  Baptists  in  Pennsylvania,  p.  90— r93. 


44O  Missionary  Societies. 

CHAP.     XIX. 

Missionary  Societies. 

THE  most  considerable  institution  of  this  kind  among  the  Baptists 
in  America  was  formed  at  Boston  in  1802.  It  must  be  considered  as 
an  appendage  of  the  Warren  Association,  as  its  principal  promoters 
were  members  of  that  body.  Since  the  Boston  Association  has  been 
formed,  it  has  been  patronized  by  both  of  these  communities.  About 
the  time  this  society  arose,  there  were  many  Macedonian  cries  from 
different  parts  of  the  country,  and  a  number  of  zealous  preachers  stood 
ready  to  go  forth  to  labour  among  the  destitute,  provided  they  could 
have  some  assistance  to  bear  them  on  the  way.  In  this  posture  of  af- 
fairs, proposition  was  made  by  Dr.  Baldwin  and  others  for  establishing 
a  society  upon  a  missionary  plan.  Many  were  fearful  of  engaging  in 
the  undertaking  ;  but  an  attempt  was  made,  which  has  been  crowned 
with  abundant  success.  The  first  year  they  received  but  about  150 
dollars,  but  their  receipts  have  increased  yearly,  so  that  they  have 
now  in  eleven  years  received  about  12,000  dollars  ;  most  of  which  has 
been  expended  in  sending  missionaries  in  the  District  cf  Maine,  in  No- 
va-Scotia, in  the  Canadas,  and  in  the  back  settlements  of  New.Hamp- 
shire,  Vermont,  New- York,  and  some  other  States. 

The  ministers  who  have  been  employed  by  this  society,  are  Elders 
Isaac  Case,  Joseph  Cornell,  Peter  P.  Roots,  Lemuel  Covel,  John  Tripp, 
David  Irish,  Jesse  Hartwell,  Phinehas  Pilsbury,  Henry  Hale,  Barna- 
bas Perkins,  Samuel  Rowly,  Clark  Kendrick,  Samuel  Ambrose,  Ste- 
phen Parsons,  Hezekiah  Pettet,  Samuel  Churchill,  Samuel  Nelson, 
Simeon  Coombs,  John  Chadburn,  Henry  Kendall,  and  others.  Of 
these  missionaries,  Messrs.  Case  and  Roots  have  been  almost  constant- 
ly in  the  employ  of  this  society  for  six  or  eight  years  past.  The  first 
has  laboured  mostly  in  the  District  of  Maine,  New-Brunswick,  and 
Nova- Scotia ;  the  other  in  the  back  settlements  of  New- York  and  in 
Upper  Cannada.  This  society,  in  1811,  had  twenty  missionaries  in 
its  employ  ;  they  laboured  upon  an  average  almost  four  months  each, 
and  the  sum  total  of  their  services  was  over  six  years ;  their  salaries 
amounted  to  1600  dollars,  that  is,  260  dollars  a  year,  or  five  dollars  a 
week,  for  each  missionary. 

This  society  received  at  one  time  600  dollars  from  the  late  Richard 
Devens,  Esq.  a  Congregationalist  of  Charlestown.  Besides  this,  very- 
considerable  assistance  was  received  at  other  times  from  that  liberal 
gentleman.  A  number  of  Female  Mite  Societies  have  been  distin- 
guished auxiliaries  of  this  evangelical  institution.  The  first  society  of 
this  kind  was  formed  in  Boston  in  1809.  This  has  contributed  500 
dollars  ;  the  Boston  Cent  Society  about  400  ;  and  a  society  of  little 
children  in  the  same  town  85  dollars.  The  Providence  Mite  Society 
has  forwarded  to  this  missionary  board  about  550  dollars  ;  the  one  in 
Salem  over  400  ;  and  another  in  Haverhill  394.  Similar  Societies 
have  been  formed  in  Newton,  Attleborough,  Rehoboth  or  Seckonk, 
Warien,  Newport,  and  other  places,  by  which  sums  of  considerable 
amount  have  been  contributed.  These  Societies  are  formed  of  religious 
women,  and  of  those  who  are  favourably  disposed  towards  the  propa- 
gation of  the  gospel  abroad  j  their  rule  is  to  give  a  cent  a  week,  thar 


Missionary  Societies.  441 

is,  fifty-two  cents  a  year  :  those  who  are  disposed,  give  more.  They 
make  their  collections  quarterly,  and  by  their  laudable  exertions,  by 
this  new  and  unprecedented  economy  of  raising  money  in  a  way  which 
no  one  can  feel,  these  societies  have,  together,  within  a  very  few  years 
past,  contributed  for  missionary  purposes  between  two  and  three  thou- 
sand dollars. 

The  Baptists  in  New- York  began  to  exert  themselves  in  the  mission' 
ary  cause,  iu  connexion  with  the  Presbyterians  in  that  city,  about  the 
beginning  of  the  present  century.  By  their  united  efforts,  sums  of 
considerable  amount  were  raised,  and  missica.irics  were  sent  out  in 
different  directions.  Mr.  Holmes,  of  the  Baptist  order,  was  stationed 
among  the  Six  Nations,  where  he  laboured  a  number  of  years  to  some 
elFtct.  But  our  brethren  not  finding  matters  to  go  on  according  to 
their  minds,  in  1806  withdrew,  formed  a  society  by  themselves,  and 
very  good  success  has  attended  their  exertion*.  Since  they  began 
their  operations,  die  sum  total  of  their  receipts  amounts  to  about 
5500  doilars.  They  expect,  in  the  spring  of  1814,  to  receive  a  thou- 
sand dollars,  lately  bequeathed  the  society.  The  missionaries  they 
have  employed  are  Messrs.  Charles  Lahatt,  Elkanah  Holmes,  Luke 
Davis,  William  Pierce,  Daniel  Steers,  Samuel  West,  James  Harris, 
Enoch  Fen  is,  and  Edmund  J.  Reis. 

Since  the  late  unhappy  divisions  in  New- York,  the  First  church  in 
that  city  has  operated  in  missionary  affairs  in  a  distinct,  individual  ca- 
pacity, and  has  collected  between  four  and  five  hundred  dollars. 

The  Philadelphia  Association  set  en  foot  a  missionary  plan  about 
1800.  Their  receipts  for  some  years  at  first  were  not  large,  but  there 
has  been  a  promising  increase  of  their  means ;  so  that  they  have  been 
enabled  to  send  the  Gospel  to  many  destitute  places  in  the  back  parts 
of  Pennsylvania  and  in  the  north-east  parts  of  Ohio.  They  have  em- 
ployed as  missionaries  Messrs.  Thomas  G.  Jones,  Thomas  Smiley, 
Henry  George,  William  West,  and  others. 

The  New  Jersey  Association,  at  the  time  that  it  came  cut  of  the 
Philadelphia,  established  a  Missionary  Society  within  its  bounds  ;  and 
in  the  year  1812,  its  receipts  from  different  sources  amounted  to  about 
200  doilars.  What  it  has  received  this  present  year  I  have  not  learnt, 
but  it  is  hoped  not  a  less  sum. 

The  Virginia  Baptists,  with  all  their  ample  means,  do  not  yet  seem 
to  have  interested  themselves  in  missionary  concerns. 

In  North -Carolina  a  few  years  since  an  institution  was  formed  by 
the  name  of  the  Philanthropic^  Baptist  Missionary  Society  ;  but  it  does 
not  appear  that  any  thing  considerable  has  yet  been  effected  by  it. 

By  the  Charleston  Association  a  Missionary  Society  was  begun  in 
1803.  It  had  for  its  principal  object  the  sending  of  the  gospel  to  the 
Catawba  Indians,  who  inhabit  their  State,  of  whom,  and  also  of  the 
success  of  the  mission  to  them,  some  account  is  given  in  Vol.  II.  p. 
,46,  147.  In  i  S  o,  this  society  had  collected  by  annual  contributions 
•££896  :  60  of  which  ^850  :  78  had  been  expended  in  paying  the 
salaries  of  their  missionary  and  school-master,  purchasing  books,  &c.* 
It  has  probably  received  about  £200  a  year  since,  which  would  now 
(1813)  make  the  sun:  total  of  its  receipts,  about  £2500.  It  appears 

*  Furman's  Hist,  of  the  Charleston  Asscdaii<  n;  p.  52, 
VOL,  2.  ,56 


Missionary  Societies. 

by  the  Minutes  of  the  Association  for  181  2,  that  in  that  year  8122  :  5* 
were  received  from  the  Wadmalaw  and  Edisto  Female  Mite  Society,  by 
the  hands  of  Mrs.  Eliza  A.  Adams,  and  Mrs.  Hepzibah  Townsend. 
When  we  go  back  from  the  seaport  towns,  we  find  a  considerable 
number  of  missionary  establishments.  The  Shaftsbury  Association, 
early  in  fhe  beginning  of  this  century,  began  to  make  exertions  to  send 
the  Gos-pel  to  the  destitute.  Elders  Blood,  Warren,  Covel,  and  others 
of  their  most  distinguished  preachers,  before  that  period,  had  made 
m.my  evangelical  excursions  into  remote  regions  on  thtir  own  expense. 
In  j So i,  it  appears  by  their  Minutes,  that  Mr.  Covel  made  "a  propo- 
sition for  raising  a  funJ,  by  contribution,  for  sending  missionaries  to 
preaeh  the  Gospel  in  destitute  parts  of  the  frontier  settlements,  and  as 
fir  as  they  should  have  opportunity,  among  the  natives  of  the  wil- 
derness." The  next  year  some  small  sums  were  sent  in  ;  the  year 
after,  their  contributions  amounted  to  almost  80  dollars  ;  and  from  that 
period  they  have  made  annual  collections  from  churches,  mite  societies, 
and  individuals,  from  90  to  1 80  dollars.  The  sum  total  of  their  contri- 
butions, from  1802  to  the  present  time,  must  amount  to  upwards 
of  1500  dollars. 

In  the  bounds  of  the  Otsego,  Madison,  and  Franklin  Associa- 
tions, has  been  formed  an  institution  for  missionary  purposes,  by'the 
name  of  the  Hamilton  Missionary  Society.  It  was  begun  in  1807, 
and  had,  in  i8n,sent  out  missionaries  into  different  parts,  to  the 
amount  of  almost  seventy  weeks.  Auxiliary  to  this  is  a  society  of 
religious  and  benevolent  ladies,  in  the  town  of  Hamilton,  who,  by  ta- 
king hold  of  the  distaff,  have  furnished  clothing  for  their  missionary 
brethren.  In  February  1812,  they  presented  the  missionary  board 
with  twenty  yards  of  fine  woollen  cloth  of  their  own  manufacture.  In 
the  town  of  Carenovia  a  similar  society  has  been  formed,  who  have, 
with  their  own  hands,  manufactured  thirty  yards  of  fine  linen,  and 
about  as  much  of  woollen,  for  the  clothing  and  the  comfort  of  their 
brethren,  who  expose  themselves  to  the  summer's  heat  and  winter's 
colj,  to  bear  the  glad  tidings  of  peace  to  those  who  are  perishing  for 
lack  of  knowledge.  When  these  accounts  were  received,  similar  so- 
cieties were  forming  in  Fabius,  Onondaga,  Pompey,  German,  Ho- 
mer, &c. 

On  the  west  of  this  region  an  institution  was  formed  some  years 
ago,  cabled  the  Lake  Missionary  Society  ;  but  of  its  origin  and  move- 
ments I  have  obtained  no  accounts.  There  is  also  a  missionary  es- 
tablishment in  the  District  of  Maine,  called  the  Maine  Missionary  So- 
ciety, which  was  formed  in  1804.  By  the  year  r8io,  they  had  col- 
lected, in  various  ways,  between  five  and  six  hundred  dollars,  which 
they  had  appropriated  to  the  design  of  their  institution. 

In  addition  to  these  societies,  the  several  Associations  of  Sturbridge, 
Leyden,  Woodstock,  Vermont,  Saratoga,  Cayuga,  and  Black- River, 
in  New-England  and  New- York,  have  some  years  past  made  annual 
collections' of  from  about  forty  to  considerably  over  a  hundred  dollars. 
About  eighty  dollars  a  year  are  generally  collected.  These  monies  they 
generally  appropriate  to  their  own  ministers,  who  are  disposed  to  itin- 
erate, in  places  remote  and  destitute.  All  these  institutions  are  call- 
ed missionary,  though  most  of  them  more  properly  deserve  the  name 
'<»£'  itinerant,  Their  effects  have  been  peculiarly  useful  and  promising, 


Literary  Institutions,  bV.  4-4S 

Many,  who  had  previously  a  zeal  for  itinerating,  have  been  enabled 
to  do  it  without  injury  to  their  families  or  embarrassment  to  them- 
selves.  Many  new  and  destitute  places  in  this  wide-spread  country 
have  been  blessed  with  the  dispensation  of  the  precious  word  of  life  ; 
many  of  the  saints,  who  have  removed  far  from  their  brethren,  have 
been  refreshed  ;  many  tinners  have,  by  the  labours  of  the  missiona- 
ries, been  hopefully  born  into  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  by  their 
means  a  considerable  number  of  churches  have  been  planted. 

As  near  as  J  can  ascertain  there  has  been  collected  by  all  the  dif- 
ferent Baptist  Missionary  Institutions  since  about  i  803,  that  is,  in  the 
ten  last  years,  not  far  from  thirty  thousand  dollars.  In  this  sum  I  do 
not  include  what  the  New- York  brethren  contributed  while  they  were 
in  connexion  with  the  Presbyterians,  nor  the  monies,  which  have  beeu 
sent  to  India  formerly,  or  have  lately  been  raised  towards  supporting 
Messrs.  Judson  and  Rice  in  that  region.  More  that  one  third  of  this 
sum,  we  have  seen,  has  been  raised  by  the  Massachusetts  Baptist  So- 
ciety, and  very  few  of  our  brethren  comparatively  have  been  concerned 
in  raising  the  remainder.  What  might  we  expect  if  they  would  unite 
their  efforts  in  this  evangelical  undertaking  ? 

Literary  Institutions,  and  Education  Funds. 

BROWN  UNIVERSITY  is  the  most  important  literary  establishment 
among  the  Baptists  in  America.  It  was  projected,  according  to  Mor- 
gan Edwards,  in  1762,  by  the  Philadelphia  Association.  The  year 
after,  Mr.  James  Manning,  who  afterwards  became  its  president,  land- 
ed at  Newport  on  his  way  to  Halifax,  Nova-Scotia,  "  and  made  a 
motion  to  several  gentlemen  of  the  Baptist  denomination,  (of  whom 
Col.  Gardner,  the  Deputy-Governor  was  one,)  relative  to  a  seminary 
of  polite  literature,  subject  to  the  government  of  the  Baptists.  The 
motion  was  properly  attended  to,  which  brought  together  about  fifteen 
gentlemen  of  the  same  denomination  at  the  Deputy's  house,  who  re- 
quested Mr.  Manning  to  draw  a  sketch  of  the  design  against  the  day 
following."  The  plan  was  formed  according  to  desire,  and  the  next 
day  Governor  Lyndon  and  Col.  Job  Bennet  were  appointed  to  draw  a 
charter ;  but  they  pleading  unskilfulness  in  the  business,  solicited  the  aid 
of  Kev.  Ezra,  afterwards  Dr.  Styles,  president  of  Yale  College,  New- 
Haven.  Before  the  business  was  matured,  Mr.  Manning  was  obliged 
to  go  on  board  the  vessel  for  Halifax.  "  The  object  for  fixing  on 
Rhode-Island  for  a  Baptist  College  was,  that  that  Legislature  was  chief- 
ly in  the  hands  of  their  denomination,  and  was  therefore  the  liktliest 
place  to  have  one  established  by  Jaw."  But  so  unsuspicious  were  the 
Baptists,  that  they  came  very  near  being  defeated  in  their  design. 
The  charter  was  so  artfully  drawn  by  Dr.  Styles,  that  the  Presbyteri- 
ans would  have  had  the  power  of  controlling  the  institution,  had  it  re- 
ceived the  sanction  of  the  Legislature  in  its  original  form.  "  When 
Governor  Lyndon  inquired  of  the  Doctor,  why  he  had  perverted  the 
design  of  the  charter  ?  he  answered,  I  gave  you  timely  warning  to  take  care 
of  yourselves,  for  that  <we  had  done  so  with  regard  to  our  society ',  observing  af 
the  same  time  that  be  was  not  the  rogue.1'  The  history  of  this  sectarian 
intrigue  is  thus  stated  by  Daniel  Jenks,  Esq.  "  While  I  attended  the 
business  of  the  Assembly,  (held  August,  1763)  Capt.  William  Rogers 


-144?  Literary  Institutions) 

came  to  the  council-chamber  and  presented  rne  with  a  paper,  with  a 
design  I  should  sign  it,  adding,  "that  as  it  was  a  petition  lor  a  Bap- 
tist College  he  knew  I  would  not  refuse."  Business  not  permitting 
me  to  attend  to  him  immediately,  I  requested  he  \\ould  leave  with  me 
the  petition  and  charter.  Meanwhile  the  serjeant  made  proclamation, 
requesting  the  members  to  take  their  seats ;  in  my  seat  I  began  to 
read  the  papers,  but  had  not  done,  befose  the  petition  and  charter  were 
called  for,  which  I  gave  to  the  serjeant,  and  he  to  the  speaker  at  the 
board.  The  petition  being  read,  a  motion  was  made  to  receive  it  and 
grant  the  chatter.  After  some  time  I  stood  up  to  oppose  proceeding 
immedately  on  the  petition,* giving  my  reason  in  words  to  this  effect. 
?("J  understood  that  the  college  in  question  was  sought  for  by  the  Bap- 
tists, and  that  it  was  to  be  under  their  government  and  direction,  witli 
admission  only  of  a  few  of  oth^r  religious  denominations,  to  share 
with  them  therein,  that  they  might  appear  as  cathclick  as  could  be, 
consistent  with  their  main  design  ;  but  on  die  contrary,  I  perceived,  by 
glancing  over  the  charter  while  I  sat  in  my  place  just  now,  that  the 
main  po\ver  of  goverment  and  direction  is  vested  in  twelve  fellows, 
and  that  eight  out  of  the  twelve  are  to  be  Presbyterians,  and  that  the 
ethers  may  or  may  not  be  of  the  same  denomination,  but  of  necessity 
none  of  them  is  to  be  a  Baptist.  If  so,  there  is  treachery  somewhere, 
and  a  design  of  grossly  imposing  on  the  honest  people,  who  first  moved 
for  the  institution  ;  1  therefore  desire  that  the  matter  may  lie  by  till 
the  afternoon."  This  was  granted.  In  the  afternoon  the  matter  was 
resumed,  with  a  seeming  resolution  in  some  to  push  it  through  at  all 
events  ;  but  I  had  influence  enough  to  stop  proceeding  then  also. 
That  evening  and  next  morning  I  made  it  my  business  to  see  Gov- 
ernor Lyndon  and  Col,  Bennet,  and  to  inform  them  of  the  construc- 
tion of  the  charter.  They  cculd  not  believe  me,  for  the  confidence 
they  had  in  Dr.  Styles's  honour  and  integrity,  until  seeing  convinced 
them.  What  reflections  followed  may  be  better  concealed  than  pub- 
lished. However,  we  all  agreed  to  postpone  passing  the  charter  into  a 
law,  and  did  effect  our  purpose  for  that  session,  notwithstanding  the 
attempts  of  Mr.  Ellery  and  others  of  the  Presbyterians  to  the  contrary. 
Before  the  breaking  up  of  the  Assembly,  the  House,  at  my  request, 
directed  the  speaker  to  deliver  the  charter  to  me,  after  I  had  made  a 
promise  it  should  be  forth-coming  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  Assembly. 
I  took  the  charter  to  J  ;  -,  and  showed  it  to  many  who  came  to 

my  hoUiC  ;  others  bo.  '.!  \i  to  peruse  at  home.  Meanwhile  the 
messengers,^  from  the  \rsociation  arrived  in  Newport, 

vhich  occasioned  the  comrr/Ltee  of  Nevpmt  to  send  to  me  for  the 
charter.  I  asked  for  it  of  Dr,  Ephrahim  Bov,-en,  who  had  borrowed 
it  last.  The  Dr.  said  he  lent  it  to  Samuel  Nightingale,  Esq.  Search 
%vas  made  for  it  there,  but  it  could  not  be  found  ;  neither  do  I  know 
to  this  day  what  became  of  it.  When  the  next  General  Assembly 
just  (last  Wednesday  in  October,  1763,)  ihe  second  charter  was  pre- 
sented, which  was  much  faulted  and  opposed  by  the  gentry,  who  con- 
cerned themselves  so  warmly  about  the  other.  And  one  in  particular 
demanded  that  the  first  charter,  which  had  been  entrusted  with  me, 

*  One  of  these  r.  -  \vas  Dr.  Samuel  Jor.es,  v.ho,  hearing  of  the  difi> 

:ulty  his  brethren  wt-rc  in,  carac  o;i  to  their  assistance. 


Literary  Institutions,  &c.  445 

might  be  produced.  Then  I  related  (as  above)  that  it  was  lost,  and 
the  manner  how  it  was  lost  ;  but  the  party,  instead  of  believing  this, 
very  rudely  suggested,  that  I  had  secreted  the  charter,  and,  in  the  face 
(.f  the  court,  charged  me  with  a  breach  of  trust,  which  brought  on 
very  disagreeable  altercations  and  bickerings,  till  at  last  I  was  necessi- 
tated ro  syy,  "  that  if  there  had  been  any  foul  doings,  it  WHS  among 
them  of  tiv.  ir  own  denomination  at  Providence."  Their  clamour*  con- 
tinued, and  we  gave  way  to  them  that  session,  for  peace  sake.  Mean- 
while, Dr.  Bowen,  who  is  a  man  of  strict  honour  and  integrity,  used 
all  means  to  recover  the  former  charter,  posting  an  advertisement  in 
the  most  publick  places  of  the  town,  and  making  diligent  inquiry, 
but  to  no  purpose.  At  the  next  Assembly,  which  met  in  February, 
1764,  the  new  charter  was  again  brought  on  the  carpet,  and  tie 
same  clamour  against  it,  and  unjust  reproaches  against  me,  were  re- 
peated. It  was  said  that  die  new  charter  was  not  like  the  old  ;  and 
was  constructed  to  deprive  the  Presbyterians  of  the  benefit  of  the  in- 
stitution. To  which  it  was  replied,  "  That  it  was  agreeable  to  the 
design  of  the  first  undertakers  ;  and  if  calculated  to  deprive  the  Pres- 
byterians of  the  power  they  wanted,  it  was  no  more  than  what  they 
themselves  had  attempted  to  do  to  the  Baptists."  After  much  and 
warm  debate,  the  question  was  put,  and  carried  in  favour  of  the  new 
charter,  by  a  great  majority."* 

The  charter  is  too  lengthy  to  be  transcribed,  but  the  following  is  a 
summary  of  its  contents.  The  institution  was  named  the  "Trustees 
and  Fellows  of  the  Coilege  or  University,  in  the  English  Colony  of 
Rhode-Island  and  Providence  Plantations."  The  corporation  consists 
of  two  separate  branches,  with  distinct,  separate,  and  respective  powers. 
The  number  of  Trustees  is  thirty- six,  of  whom  twenty-two  are  Baptists, 
five  of  Friends  or  Quakers,  five  Episcopalians,  and  four  Congregation- 
alists,  frequently  called  Presbyterians.  The  same  proportion  of  dif- 
ferent  denominations  to  continue  in  perpetuum.  The  number  of  Fellows, 
(including  the  President,  who  is  a  Fellow,  ex  officio]  is  twelve,  of  whom 
eight  are  Baptists,  the  others  may  be  chosen  indiscriminately  from  any 
denomination.  The  concurrence  of  both  branches  by  a  majority  of 
each  is  necessary  for  the  validity  of  an  act,  except  the  adjudging  and 
conferring  degrees,  which  exclusively  belongs  to  the  Fellowship  as  a 
learned  faculty.  The  President  must  be  a  Baptist ;  Professors  and 
other  officers  of  instruction  are  not  limited  to  any  particular  denomina- 
tion. The  annual  commencement  is  on  the  first  Wednesday  of  Sept. 
when  there  is  a  general  meeting  of  the  Corporation. 

For  a  few  years  after  the  charter  was  granted,  the  institution  moved 
on  but  slowly  towards  maturity.  Mr.  Manning  was  chosen  President, 
and  in  i  766,  began  with  a  small  class  at  Warren,  where  it  was  at  first 
proposed  the  college  should  be  located.  The  year  after,  Mr.  Morgan 
Edwards,  of  Philadelphia,  set  sail  for  England,  to  collect  money  to- 
wards paying  the  salary  of  the  President  and  his  assistant,  for  as  yet 
they  had  no  funds.  Mr.  Edwards  met  with  very  good  success,  "con- 
sidering," as  he  says,  "  how  angry  the  mother  country  then  was  with 
the  colonies  for  opposing  the  stamp-act." 

Afterwards,  the  late  Dr.  He?,ekiah  Smith  and  others  collected  sums 
«f  considerable  amount  for  the  purpose  of  endowing  the  institution. 

*  Edwar&'s  MS.  History  of  Rhode-Island,  p.  523— 3:~ 


446  Literary  Institutions,  &c. 

In  1769  proposals  were  made  for  building  a  college  edifice  ;  but 
serious  difficulties  arose  respecting  the  place  where  it  should  he  erected. 
The  four  towns  of  Warren,  Providence,  Newport  and  East-Greenwich, 
in  tour  different  counties,  were  named  as  eligible  situations.  In  this 
posrure  of  affairs,  it  was  proposed  bj  the  Corporation,  that  the  county, 
which  should  raise  the  most  money,  should  have  the  college.  Provi- 
dence bid  the  highest,  and  of  course  obtained  it.  Here  an  edifice  was 
begun  in  May,  1770,  which  was  roofed  in  the  autumn  of  that  year. 
It  was  bmii.  under  the  superintendence  of  "the  adventurous  and  resolute 
Browns,"  of  Providence,  viz.  Nicholas,  Joseph,  John,  and  Moses,  who 
were  then  united  in  trade  under  the  firm  of  Nicholas  Brown  &  Co. 
They  each  subscribed  two  hundred  pounds,  L.  M.*  but  in  the  end,  the 
building  cost  tnem  much  more. 

The  college  edifice  is  of  brick,  four  stories  high,  exclusive  of  the  cel- 
lar, which  is  partly  above  ground,  150  feet  long,  and  46  wide,  with  a 
projection  of  ten  feet  on  each  side.  It  has  an  entry  lengthwise,  with 
rooms  on  each  side.  There  are  52  rooms  for  the  accommodation  of 
students,  and  four  larger  ones  for  publick  uses. 

This  elegant  building,  which  was  erected  wholly  by  the  generous 
donations  of  individuals,  mostly  of  the  town  of  Providence,  is  situated 
on  a  hill  to  the  east  of  the  town,  has  a  pure  salubrious  air,  and  com- 
mands a  delightful  prospect  of  the  town  of  Providence,  the  Narragan- 
set  Bay  and  the  islands,  and  of  an  extensive  country  around,  variegated 
with  hills,  dales,  plaini,  wood-lands,  &c-f  The  college  lot  contains 
about  five  acres,  originally  the  property  of  Chad  Brown. J  one  of 
Roger  Williams's  associates  and  his  successor  in  the  care  of  the  church 
of  which  they  were  both  constituent  members.  Near  the  college  are 
the  President's  house,  a  commodious  brick  building  for  a  Grammar 
School  and  the  Medical  Lectures,  and  out-buildings  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  the  President  and  steward. 

The  Library  belonging  to  this  University  amounts  now  to  near  three 
thousand  volumes,  many  of  which  were  collected  by  Morgan  Edwards 
in  England,  and  many  others  have  been  presented  by  the  Baptists  in 
that  kingdom,  and  by  benefactors  of  different  denominations,  both 
there  and  in  different  parts  of  the  United  States.  A  valuable  Law 
Library,  supposed  to  be  worth  about  eight  hundred  dollars,  is  the  gift 
of  Nicholas  Brown,  Esq.  who  has  presented  besides  a  great  number 
of  books  of  different  kinds.  We  ought  furthermore  to  add  that  this 
distinguished  benefactor,  a  few  years  ago,  agreed  to  give  five  hundred 
dollars  towards  increasing  the  Library,  if  the  corporation  would  appro- 
priate as  much  more.  This  liberal  proposition  was  accepted  ;  a  part 
of  this  thousand  dollars  has  been  expended,  but  a  considerable  sum 
yet  remains  to  be  laid  out. 

*  S  666— 67. 

f  In  full  view  of  thr  top  of  the  College,  is  the  Seekhonk  plain,  in  Rehoboth, 
where  Roger  Williams  first  pitched  his  t^nt  among  the  Indians,  when  banished, 
from  Massachusetts,  and  from  which  he  was  warned  by  thetnen  of  Plymouth, 
to  remove  across  the  Narraganset  Bay,  Sec. 

$.  This  circumstance  was  first  suggested  to  me  by  Friend  Moses  Brown  ;  I 
have  since  found  it  noticed  by  Morgan  Edwards,  so  that  1  think  there  can  be 
no  noubt,  but  that  Brown  University  stands  on  land  originally  owned  by  the 
ancient  Chad  Brown,  although  it  received  tfes  ificme  from  one  ef  his  posterity 
of  the  sixth  generation". 


Literary  Institutions,  SflV.  447 

Fifteen  or  twenty  volumes  of  Grammars  and  Translations  of  the 
Scriptures  in  the  Oriental  languages,  have  lately  been  received  from 
the  Baptist  Missionaries  in  India. 

The  Philosophical  Apparatus,  though  not  so  large  as  those  of  older 
Universities,  is  yet  respectable  for  its  extent.  It  consists  of  an  Orrery, 
a  Theodolite,  a  reflecting  Telescope,  solar  and  double  Microscopes, 
convex  and  concave  Mirrors,  Lemes,  Globes,  aa  Air  Pump,  the  gift 
of  the  late  Nicholas  Brown,  Esq.  Machinery  for  Hydro- latick.;,  Electri- 
city, and  Mechanicks,  together  with  such  other  articles  as  are  necessary 
to  a  respectable  course  of  experiments  on  modern  philosophy.  A 
numbf r  of  these  articles  were  purchased  with  a  donation  of  five  hun- 
dred dollars  from  the  late  Samuel  hlam,  E  q. 

The  officers  of  this  University  are  as  follow  : 

Hon.  JABKZ  BOWEN,LL.  D.  Chancellor.  SOLOMON  DROWX,  M.  D.  Professor 

Rev.  ASA  M  h  ss  KR,  S.T.D.  LL.D.  Prts.  Matcriu  JMtdica  and  Butany. 

Hon. DAV.HOW  KLL, LL.D.  Prof.  Luiu.  JOHN  BAILEY,  A.M.        Tutor  and 

Rev.  CALVIN  PAUK,  A  AI.    JJrc.fi.^or  Librarian. 

Moral  PhUosofihij  and  MetujhhyiAcka,  IOSEPRUS  WHF.ATOM,  A.B.  Tutor. 

WILLIAM  IN  GALLS,  M.D.  Pr^/i&^r  G..ORGE  FISHER.  A.  B.    Preceptor 

sJnatomy  and  Surg*  /•;/.  c/  the  Grammar  School. 

William  C.  Bowen,  M.D.  former  Professor  of  Chemistry,  has  lately 
resigned..  It  is  expected  a  new  Professor  will  soon  be  appointed. 

The  Medical  Establishment  was  begun  in  1810,  and  bids  fair  to  be 
an  important  acquisition  to  the  Institution,  A  Professorship  of  the 
Theory  and  Practice  of  Physick  has  been  established,  but  a  Professor 
has  not  yet  been  appointed.  A  Botanical  Garden  is  in  contempla- 
tion. 

The  number  of  students  is  over  a  hundred  and  twenty  j  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1813,  they  were  a  hundred  and  thirty-five,  of  all  denomina- 
tions ;  and  the  same  religious  freedom  reigns  in  the  College  as  in  the 
State.  The  students  do  not  repair  here  to  study  divinity,  but  to  ac- 
quire a  knowledge  of  the  arts  and  sciences,  that  they  may  be  qualified 
to  engage  in  whatever  profession  their  views  and  feelings  shall  dictate. 

The  funds  of  the  University,  according  to  a  report  of  the  Treasurer 
in  18  ri,  were  over  fifteen  thousand  dollars;  and  as  the  establishment 
has,  for  some  time  past,  supported  itself,  they  are  yearly  accumulating. 

The  foundation  for  these  funds  was  laid  by  the  collections  of  Mor- 
gan Edwards,  Dr.  Hezekiah  Smith,  and  others.  Two  thousand  dol- 
lars of  it  were  granted  by  Congress  in  consideration  of  the  damages 
the  edifice  sustained  during  the  Revolutionary  War.  This  grant  was 
obtained  by  means  of  John  Brown,  Esq.  wno  was  at  the  time  a  Rep- 
resentative from  the  State.* 

Exclusive  of  these  endowments  is  a  foundation  for  a  Professorship 
«f  Oratory  and  Belles  Lettres,  which  was  laid  in  1804,  by  Nicholas 
Brown,  Esq.  in  consequence  of  which  the  University  received  its 
same.f  This  was  at  first  five  thousand  dollars;  in  1811  it  had  ia- 

*  For  six  years  during  the  war,  this  Seat  of  the  Muses  became  the  Camp  of 
Mars  ;  that  is.from  December  1776  to  June  1782,  the  college  edifice  was  used, 
by  the  French  and  American  troops,  for  a  hospital  and  barracks ;  so  that  the 
course  of  education  was  interrupted  during  that  period.  No  degrees  wtre  cun- 
lerred  from  1776  to  1786. 

t  The  institution  had  no  specifick  name  previous  to  this  period ;  it  had  been  cul- 
Ictl  Rhode-Hand  College,  the  College  at  Provjder.ce,  See.  The  privilege  of 


448  Literary  Institutions ,  £sV. 

creased  to  dver  seven  thousand.  A  Professor  is  to  be  appointed  when 
the  interest  of  this  fund  shall  be  sufficient  to  afford  him  a  competent 
salary. 

This  institution  has  had  three  Presidents.  Dr.  Manning,  its  foun- 
der, held  this  office  about  twenty-five  years.  His  character  lias  been 
given  in  the  biographical  department. 

Successor  to  him  was  Jonathan  Maxcy,  D.  D.  now  President  of 
the  College  at  Columbia,  South-Carolina.  He  was  born  at  Attlebo- 
rough,  Massachusetts,  a  few  miles  from  Providence,  1768,  was  chosen 
President  of  this  institution  soon  after  Dr.  Manning's  death,  and  held 
the  office  about  eleven  years,  when  he  was  chosen  President  of  Union 
College,  Skenectady,  (New- York)  where  he  officiated  a  few  years  before 
his  removal  to  his  present  situation. 

Asa  Mt-sser,  D.  D.  LL.  D.  was  elevated  to  the  presidential  chair 
in  1802.  He  was  born  in  Methuen,  near  Haverhill,  Massachusetts, 
1769,  and  was  brought  up  under  the  ministry  of  the  late  Dr.  Htze- 
kiah  Smith.  He  has  now  been  in  the  University  in  different  stations, 
twenty-six  years,  that  is,  from  the  age  of  eighteen. 

In  speaking  of  the  other  literary  institutions,  which  it.  may  be  prop- 
er to  notice,  we  shall  pursue  the  order)  of  the  States,  beginning  with 

The  District  of  Maine. 

In  the  winter  of  1812,  the  Baptists  in  this  District  obtained  of  the 
Massachusetts  Legislature  a  grant  of  a  township  of  publick  unsettled 
land,  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  College.  The  township  contains 
over  20,000  acres,  which  it  is  expected  will  sell  for  as  m;>ny  thousand 
dollars.  This  was  a  new  thing  under  the  sun,  and  is  believed  to  have 
been  the  first  publick  grant,  that  was  ever  made  by  any  court  or  legis- 
lature to  our  denomination.  The  Baptists,  as  citizens  of  the  Com- 
monwealth, had  a  righteous  claim  for  their  part  of  its  publick  proper- 
ly; but  their  petition  was  much  opposed,  and  it  is  doubted  whether 
it  would  have  been  granted,  had  it  not  been  for  the  assiduous  exertions 
of  Rev.  Daniel  Merrill,  of  Sedgwick,  who  was,  at  that  time,  a  member 
of  the  House  of  Representatives. 

Sums  of  considerable  amount  had  been  subscribed  towards  this  in- 
tended College,  before  the  grant  was  obtained  ;  but  I  do  not  learn 
that  much  has  yet  been  done  towards  setting  it  in  operation. 

Mr.  Williams9 s    Academy. 

In  1776,  Mr.  William  Williams,  pastor  of  the  church  in  Wrentham, 
Massachusetts,  one  of  the  first  graduates  of  Brown  University,  open- 
ed an  Academy  for  teaching  the  Languages,  Arts  and  Sciences,  &c. 
Mr.  Williams  has  had  over  a  hundred  scholars  under  his  tuition,  most 
of  whom  have  finished  their  education  at  the  University  at  Provi- 

giving  it  a  name  was  reserved  for  some  generous  benefactor. — The  sum  had 
never  before  been  specified ;  but  at  the  date  above  mentioned,  the  Corpora- 
tion fixed  it  ;it  rive  thousand  dollars,  which  was  immediately  presented  by 
Mr.  Brown,  who  conferred  on  the  institution  his  own  name. 


Literary  Institutions,  &c.  449 

dence.  Among  these  students  were  President  Maxcy,  and  the  Hon. 
David  R.  Williams,  of  South-Carolina.  About  twenty  out  of  the 
whole  number,  have  become  Baptist  ministers,  most  of  whom  are  yet 
living.  A  tew  have  enicred  the  ministry  in  the  Congregational  connex- 
ion, and  most  of  the  remainder  studied  physick  or  engaged  in  the  law. 

Mr.  Eaton's  Academy^  at  Hopewcll,  New-Jersey. 

"  Mr.  Laton  was  the  first  man  among  the  American  Baptists,  who 
opened  a  school  for  the  education  of  youth  for  the  ministry."  This 
school  was  began  in  r  756,  and  closed  in  1767.  Towards  the  support 
of  it  the  churches  in  the  Philadelphia  Association  raised  a  fund  of 
about  four  hundred  pounds,  which  was  afterwards  mostly  annihila- 
ted by  the  ravages  of  continental  money.  Among  the  ministers  who 
received  the  rudiments  of  their  education  at  this  Academy,  were 
President  Manning,  Dr.  Samuel  Jones,  Dr.  Hezekiah  Smith,  Dr. 
Isaac  Ski.ll man,  and  Messrs.  David  Thomas,  John  Davis,  William 
William«,  Robert  Keith,  Charles  Thompson,  David  Jones,  John  Sut- 
ton,  Dai'Id  Sutton,  James  Talbot,  John  Blackwell,  Joseph  Powell, 
William  Worth,  and  Levi  Bonnell. 

A  considerable  number  of  his  students  engaged  in  the  professions 
of  T  in-sick  <md  law,  and  of  this  last  class  was  Judge  Howel  of  Provi- 
dence, Rhode-Island. 

Dr,  Jones's  Academy,  at  Lower-Dublin,  Pennsylvania. 

Dr.  Jones,  we  have  seen,  was  one  of  Mr.  Eaton's  students ;  he  fin- 
nished  his  education  in  the  College  at  Philadelphia,  opened  the  Acade- 
my in  question  in  1766,  and  closed  it  in  1794.  The  number  of  his 
students  amounts  to  69  in  all ;  fourteen  of  them  became  Baptist  preach- 
ers. Dr.  Jones,  out  of  the  abundance  of  his  wealth,  has,  as  he  informs 
me,  resolved  on  leaving  a  thousand  dollars  in  the  hands  of  the  trustees 
of  his  church  and  congregation,  with  directions  to  apply  the  interest 
towards  educating  young  men,  who  are  promising  for  the  ministry. 

Baptist  Education  Society  of  the  Middle  States. 

THIS  Society  was  formed  at  Philadelphia  in  1812.  "Its  avowed 
and  explicit  design  is,  with  a  divine  blessing,  the  assisting  of  young; 
men  in  obtaining  such  literary  and  theological  aid,  as  shall  enable 
them,  with  greater  ease  to  themselves  and  usefulness  to  the  churches, 
to  fulfil  the  duties  of  the  Christian  ministry.  Such  persons  only  shall 
be  considered  as  eligible  to  the  privileges  of  the  society  as  are  regular 
members  of  Baptiit  churches,  and  as  have  been  licensed  to  the  min- 
istry, and  are  by  the  trustees  of  the  society  considered  as  possessing 
t  -.lents  likely  to  contribute  to  ministerial  usefulness."  This  society- 
has  collected  funds  to  the  amount  of  about  fifteen  hundred  dollars. 
Dr.  Staughron,  of  Philadelphia,  has  been  chosen  tutor,  and  a  small 
class  of  young  gentlemen  of  the  character  above  described  are  study- 
ing at  his  house.  A  building,  suitable  to  the  designs  of  this  Society, 
is  in  contemplation,  and  should  the  brethren  of  the  Middle  States 
VOL.  2.  -57 


4,50  Education  Funds. 

make  a  liberal  advance  of  the  abundant  means  they  possess,  tins  in- 
stitution may  prove  a  valuable  acquisition  to  the  churches,  whose  bene« 
fit  it  has  in  view. 

Mr.  Roberts'*  Academy ^  at  Sfatesburg,  South-Carolina. 

THIS  seminary  was  opened  in  1800.  Some  accounts  of  its  students 
will  be  given  in  the  history  of  the  Education  Fund  belonging  to  the 
Charleston  Association.  Mr.  Roberts  is  a  graduate  of  Brown  Uni- 
versity, and  was  approbated  as  a  preacher  by  the  church  in  Provi- 
dence. 

Mount  Emn  Academy. 

THIS  Academy  is  not  far  from  the  city  of  Augusta,  in  Georgia,  149 
miles  from  the  Atlantick.  It  was  begun  about  1806,  principally  by 
the  exertions  of  Dr.  Holcombe,  now  of  Philadelphia,  by  whom  collec- 
tions to  a  considerable  amount  were  made  indifferent  parts  of  the 
State.  This  Academy  is  under  the  direction  of  a  board  of  trustees, 
who  have  obtained  an  act  of  incorporation.  They  have  funds  to  the 
amount  of  about  three  thousand  dollars,  besides  unsold  lots  on  Mount 
Enon,  supposed  to  be  worth  about  a  thousand  dollars.  The  Presi- 
dent of  this  institution  ib  Mr.  Thomas  H  Dixon,  the  number  of  stu- 
dents is  about  forty.  Should  the  Georgia  brethren  increase  in  their 
relish  for  literature,  and  contribute  freely  of  their  pecuniary  means, 
this  seminary  may,  at  some  future  day,  arise  into  a  College,  according 
to  the  original  design  of  its  founders. 

Besides  the  Academies  we  have  named,  Mr.  Stanford's  in  New- 
York,  Dr.  Burgis  Allison's  of  Bordentown,  Mr.  Nelson's  at  Mount 
Pleasant,*  and  a  number  of  others,  have  been  conducted  by  Baptist 
ministers,  and  in  them  many,  who  are  now  preachers  of  the  denomi- 
nation, received  much  literary  assistance.  Buildings  have  been  erect- 
ed for  Academies  at  Westfield  and  Middleboiough,  both  in  Massa- 
chusetts, which  have  just  began  their  operations. 

Education  Funds. 

THE  one  belonging  to  the  Charleston  Association,  on  many  accounts,, 
demands  our  first  attention. 

"  This  institution,  which  has  for  <  its  object  the  gratuitous  education 
of  pious  young  men  for  the  ministry,' commenced  in  1791.  In  con- 
sequence of  previous  recommendation  and  arrangement  by  the  Associ- 
ation, nine  churches,  viz.  Charleston,  Ewhaw,  WeLh  Neck,  Ebenezer, 
High-Hills  of  Santee,  Lynch's Creek,  Cheraw  Hill,  Black  Swamp,  and 
Luwer  Fork  of  Lynch's  Creek,  sent  delegates  and  contributions  to  the 
annual  meeting  held  that  year  at  the  Welch  Neck.  Mr.  Furman  was 
chosen  Chairman,  and  Mr.  Holcombe,  Clerk. 

"  A  system  of  rules  submitted  to  the  Chairman  was  taken  into  con- 
sideration, and  underwent  several  amendments.  The  ratification  was 
deferred  till  the  next  meeting,  and  a  proposition  for  the  incorporation 

*  Ai  this  Academy  the  author  began  his  classical  studies,  in  1P02. 


Education  Funds.  451 

> 

of  the  committee  referred  to  the  association  for  its  concurrence.  Mr. 
Matthew  M'Cullers  was  recommended  by  Mr.  Holcombe  as  a  candi- 
date for  the  patronage  of  the  Committee,  examined  and  approved.  The 
Chairman  was  requested  to  contract  for  and  superintend  hi»  education. 
A  part  of  the  money  collected  was  appropriated  to  assist  in  the  edu- 
cation of  the  late  Rev.  Joseph  Cook's  son,  who  it  was  agreed  should 
afterwards  be  examined  whether  he  came  under  the  '  description  of 
persons  to  be  benefited  by  this  institution.'  Mr.  Cuttino  of  George- 
town was  requested  to  act  as  Treasurer  till  the  next  meeting. 

"In  1792  the  rules  were  re-considered,  and  after  some  further 
amendments,  ratified  and  signed.  A  petition  to  the  Legislature  for 
incorporation  was  also  signed,  and  committed  to  the  Chairman  to  be 
forwarded.  It  was  accordingly  presented  and  incorporation  obtained. 

A  SUMMARY  OF  THE  RULES. 

"  This  Committee  shall  be  known  and  distinguished  by  the  name  of 
the  General  Committee  for  the  Charleston  Baptist  Education  Fund." 

"  Once  a  year,  a  Charity  Sermon  shall  be  preached  in  each  church ; 
at  which  time  and  place,  collections  shall  be  made  from  the  congrega- 
tion, and  the  money  so  collected,  together  with  any  donations  or  be- 
quests received  for  the  purpose,  shall  be  applied  towards  forming  and 
supporting  a  fund,  to  assist  pious  young  men,  designed  for  the  work 
of  the  ministry,  and  destitute  of  other  assistance,  in  obtaining  educa- 
tion ;  together  with  such  other  religious  and  publick  uses,  as  may  be 
approved  by  the  churches,  should  the  fund  finally  prove  sufficient." 

"  A  committee  consisting  of  a  delegate  from  each  church,  chosen 
for  the  purpose,  shall  convene  at  the  same  time  and  place  with  the 
Association.  They  may  be  members  of  that  body,  but  invested  with 
distinct  powers  as  members  of  the  committee.  They  shall  receive  the 
collections,  determine  on  the  manner  of  applying  the  fund,  according 
to  the  foregoing  Rule,  and  examine  candidates  for  the  churches'  boun- 
ty. The  management  of  the  fund  is  exclusively  invested  in  those 
churches  which  contribute  to  it.  The  committee  thus  formed  is  to 
Continue  one  year,  or  to  continue  till  a  new  election.  A  President, 
Secretary,  and  two  Assistants,  shall  be  annually  chosen,  and  form  a 
select  committee  to  transact,  when  the  General  Committee  is  not  in 
session,  such  business  as  the  General  Committee  shall  judge  necessary." 

"  The  President  shall  contract  for  the  education  ef  such  persons  as 
are  taken  on  the  churches'  bounty,  and  the  expenses  consequent  there- 
on shall  be  paid  by  the  Treasurer,  on  the  President's  written  order." 

"  The  Treasurer  shall  give  bond  to  the  President,  in  double  the  value 
of  all  monies  or  specialties  in- his  hands." 

"  No  person  shall  be  admitted  on  the  bounty,  but  such  as  come  well 
recommended,  and  appear,  on  examination,  to  be  truly  pious,  of  evan- 
gelical principles,  of  good  natural  abilities,  and  desirous  of  devoting 
themsslves  to  the  work  of  the  ministry.  Each  person  so  admitted, 
shall  be  under  the  Committee,  while  pursuing  a  course  of  studies,  ani 
be  liable  to  refund  the  money,  expended  on  his  education,  within  four 
years  after  the  completion  of  it,  if  he  does  not,  within  that  time,  enter 
on  the  ministry  to  the  satibfaction  of  the  Committee.  When  there  are 
more  candidates  than  can  be  received  on  the  bounty,  preference  will 
be  given  to  those  who  are  members  of  churches  in  this  Association  r 


452  Education  Funds. 

> 

secondly,  to  those  who  are  most  promising.  If  any  person,  while  ob- 
taining education  under  the  patronage  and  direction  of  this  body,  shall 
embrace  principles  subversive  of  the  great  truths  of  the  gospel,  or 
abandon  himself  to  an  irreligious  course  ot  life,  he  shall,  on  proper  evi- 
dence of  the  fact,  and  after  suitable  endeavours  to  reclaim  him,  if  inef- 
fectual, be  dismissed." 

"  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Committee  to  use  its  best  endeavours  to 
obtain  and  apply  for  the  general  benefit  of  the  churches,  all  property 
of  the  churches  in  this  union,  u'hen  the  said  churches  are  become  ex- 
tinct, and  the  property  liable  to  revert  to  the  public k  or  become  pri- 
vate property.  And  in  making  such  appropriations,  they  shall  consult 
the  Association.  The  Committee  shall  have  no  power  to  interfere  in 
any  concern  of  a  church,  either  spiritual  or  temporal,  where  power  is 
not  expressly  delegated  to  them  by  the  churches." 

"  Signed  Nov.  7,1792,  by  Richard  Furman,  Henry  Holcombe, 
Edmund  Botsford,  Alexander  Scott,  Bradley  Khame,  Benjamin  Mcse. 
ly,  Stephen  Nixon,  Isham  Gardiner,  James  Sweat. 

"  Bitter  the  adoption  of  these  rules,  the  following  officers  were  cho- 
sen— Reverend  Richard  Furman,  President ;  Rev.  Henry  Holcombe, 
Secretary  ;  Cci.  Thomas  Screven,  Treasurer  ;  Messrs.  Thomas  Kiv- 
ers,  sen.  and  John  Gourlay,  Assistants. 

"  Agreeably  to  a  resolve  of  the  last  year,  Mr.  Joseph  B.  Cook  was 
examined.  He  was  regularly  received  on  the  establishment ;  and  in 
the  year  following  Mr.  John  M.  Roberts.  In  1794  they  were  ient  to 
Rhode-Island  College,  (now  Brown  University)  where  the  latter 
graduated  in  1796,  the  former  in  1797.  Rev.  Jesse  Mercer,  of  Geor- 
gia, was  assisted,  in  1792,  with  jT  10,  and  afterwards  supplied  with 
books. 

"  In  1800,  Mr.  Sydenham  Morton  and  Mr.  William  Jones  were  ad- 
mitted, and  placed  at  the  Academy  of  Rev.  Mr.  Roberts,  near  State- 
burg.  The  same  year  a  legacy  of  £  100  was  left  the  fund  by  Mrs. 
Prances  Legare,  a  member  of  the  independent  or  Congregational 
church  in  Charleston. 

"  In  1 802  it  was  resolved  to  fix  the  period  of  students'  continuing 
at  their  studies,  at  the  time  of  their  admission. 

"In  1803  Rev.  Samuel  Eccles  was  admitted,  and  Rev.  Davis  Col- 
lins, who  had  been  some  time  studying  under  the  patronage  of  the 
committee,  retired.  In  this  year  a  valuable  library,  consisting  of 
works  of  theology  and  general  science,  was  purchased  lor  the  use  of 
students,  and  deposited  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Roberts  for  that  purpose. 
Mr.  Ezra  Courtney,  reccommended  by  the  Ebenezer  church,  was  ex- 
amined and  approved  ;  100  dollars  was  voted  for  his  use  this  year. 

"  In  1804  died  Col.  Screven,  who,  from  the  first  choice  of  officers, 
had  acted  as  Treasurer.  The  Committee  testified  respect  for  his 
memory,  approbation  of  his  conduct,  and  sorrow  for  the  loss  of  "  so 
excellent  a  man,  who  did  honour  to  his  Christian  profession,  by  a  life 
of  eminent  piety  and  extensive  usefulness." 

"In  i£oj,  Mr.  William  T.  Brautley,  who  had  been  studying  at 
Mr.  Park's  Academy,  at  JeiFer's  Creek,  was  recommended  by  Mr. 
Woods  and  Gen.  Thomas  ;  on  which  it  was  agreed,  that  the  expenses 
of  his  education  and  board  for  the  current  year  should  be  paid.  Mr. 
BraaUey  was  scon  after  examined  in  Charleston,  by  the  Special  Com- 


Education  Funds.  453 

niittee ;  approved,  and  placed  under  the  care  of  Mr.  Roberts.  In 
the  course  ot  the  year  following  he  was  admitted  into  the  South-Caro- 
lina College,  where  he  graduated  in  1808. 

"  Mr.  Richard  Todd,  of  Lune's-Creek  church,  was  examined  and 
approved  in  i  ^:o6.  The  thanks  of  the  Committee  were  presented  to 
Rev.  Mr.  Roberts  for  his  gratuitous  instruction  of  the  students,  placed 
under  his  care  by  the  Committee. 

"  In  1808,  Mr.  James  M'Kellar  was  examined  as  a  candidate  for 
the  churches'  bounty,  and  unanimously  approved. 

14  In  1809,  Messrs.  Jesse  Pope  and  John  Ellis  were  admitted  ;  and 
Mr.  Belcher  in  1810. 

STATE  OF  THE  FUND. 

Dols.    CtF. 

"  Contributions  from  the  churches  from  1791  to  1810  6831  :  63 

Donation  from  the  Religions  Society  -  161  :  61 

Donation  from  individuals  -         -         •  -  21  :  co 

Legacy  by  Mrs.  Frances  Legare       -         -         -          -  428:57 

7450:81 
Interest         10/9:21 


"  Expended  in  the  purchase  of  a  library,  and  in  the  edu- 
cation, board,  &c.  of  students 

"  Amount  of  the  Fund  in  money,  bonds,  and  notes, 
Nov.  1810 

"  Besides  the  above  amount  are  two  tracts  of  land  on  Little 
Pedee,  the  gift  of  Jeremiah  Brown,  containing  together 
near  2000  acres,  and  valued  at  upwards  of 

LIST    OF     OFFICERS    OF     THE    GEXKRAL    COMMITTEE,    FROM    ITS    FOR- 
MATION. 

"  President,  Richard  Furman. 

"  Treasurers,  Thomas  Screven,  William  Inglesby,  Henry  Jones. 

"  Secretaries)  Henry  Holcombe,  John  Waldo,  John  M.  Roberts. 

"  s!*sis(ants,  Thomas  Rivers,  John  Gourlay,  John  Hart,  Henry  In- 
glesby, William  Ingle^by,  David  Adams."* 

By  the  Minutes  of  this  Association  for  1811,  it  appears  there  were 
received  for  this  fund  for  that  year,  436  dollars.  In  1812,  the  collec- 
tions amounted  to  292  dollars.  The  receipts  for  this  year  I  have  not 
learnt,  as  the  Minutes  have  not  yet  come  to  hand. 


The  Philadelphia  Association,  as  we  have  seen,  began  to  raise  a 
fund  for  the  assistance  of  promising  young  men,  <Scc.  about  half  a 
century  ago.  In  1 763,  Mis.  Elizabeth  Hobbs  bequeathed  to  this  fund, 
or  to  the  Association  by  whom  it  was  managed,  three  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds.  Fifty  more  pounds  were  raised  probably  by  contribu- 
tion, and  a  number,  whose  names  I  have  not  obtained,  were  assisted  by 
it.  Had  it  not  been  for  what  Edwards  calls  the  0  Tempera  of  the  war, 
and  the  0  Mores  of  continental  money,  this  fund,  in  1790,  would  have 

*  Furman's  History  of  the  Charleston  Association,  p.  44 — 51. 


4o4«  Education  Funds. 

amounted  to  eight  hundred  pounds.*  What  remains  of  it,  which  is  a 
little  over  a  thousand  dollars,  will  probably  he  used  as  an  auxiliary  to  the 
Education  Society  already  described. 

About  1791,  a  proposition  was  laid  before  the  Warren  Associa- 
tion for  raising  a  fund  for  the  same  purpose  as  the  others  we  have 
mentioned.  The  mearure  was  approved  of,  but  not  much  appears  to 
have  been  done  until  two  years  after,  when  the  parrons  of  the  under- 
taking obtained  an  Act  of  Incorporation. 

By  bequests,  donations,  and  contributions,  &c.  this  fund  has  been 
augmented  to  about  three  thousand  dollars  :  it  is  nominally  more, 
but  it  is  doubtful  whether  some  notes  will  be  collected.  A  thousand 
dollars  of  this  fund  came  from  the  late  Richard  Devens,  E^q.  a  mem- 
ber of  Dr.  Morse's  church  in  Charlestown,  the  same  liberal  gentleman 
•who  gave  so  much  to  our  Missionary  Society.  Generous  donations 
have  also  been  made  to  this  institution  by  Nicholas  Brown,  Esq.  of 
Providence,  Col.  Dana,  of  Newton,  Dea.  Goodwin,  of  Charlestown, 
Ebenezer  Seccomb,  Esq.  of  Salem,  and  many  others.  The  names  of 
those  who  have  been  assisted  by  it,  are  Joshua  Bradley,  Thomas  Rand, 
Jeremiah  Chaplin,  Nathaniel  Kendrick,  David  Curtis,  Thomas  Power, 
Charles  Wheeler,  Samuel  Glover,  George  Phippen,  David  Pease,  and 
Joseph  Bailey,  all  of  whom,  except  the  two  last,  finished  their  educa- 
tions at  Providence.  Messrs.  Power,  and  Bailey  have  engaged  in  sec- 
ular pursuits  ;  the  other  ten  are  acting  a  respectable  part  in  the  Chris- 
tian ministry.  Although  the  dividends  of  this  fund  have  not  been 
great,  yet  they  have  afforded  peculiar  assistance  to  those  above  named 
towards  defraying  the  expenses  of  their  education.  Elijah  F.  Willey 
and  Herbert  Marshall,  now  members  of  Brown  University,  are  under 
its  patronage. 

A  few  years  since,  Levi  Peirce,  Esq.  of  Middleborough,  presented 
to  the  Trustees  of  this  fund  an  Academy,  which  he  had  built  at  his 
own  expense.  It  stands  near  his  house,  at  a  place  called  the  Four 
Corners,  is  50  feet  by  30,  two  stories  high,  and  with  the  lot  on  which 
it  stands  cost  about  2500  dollars.  This  liberal  gentleman  has  given 
assurances  of  endowing  this  Academy  with  2000  dollars,  should  the 
patrons  of  the  fund  and  the  brethren  generally  make  exertions  to  for- 
ward his  design.  It  is  hoped  that  other  funds  will  be  added  to  the 
princely  endowment  contemplated  by  this  distinguished  benefactor  ; 
that  a  library  will  be  collected,  and  things  set  in  order,  that  \»e  may 
have  just  what  we  want,  viz.  an  Institution  where  brethren,  who  are 
not  under  circumstances  to  go  the  whole  round  of  classical  studies^ 
may  devote  to  literary  pursuits  what  time  they  can  spare. 

*  Materials  towards  a  History  of  the  Baptists  in  Xe\v-Jersey,  p.  47 — 49. 


General  Observations,  &c.  455 

CHAP.  XX. 

{General  Observations,  Miscellaneous  Articles,  &c. 

THIS  chapter  will  not  be  so  lengthy  as  was  expected,  since  many 
tjf  the  observations  and  article^  which  it  was  to  contain,  have  been 
anticipated  in  the  preceding  narratives. 

M  >rgan  Edwards,  about  forty  years  ago,  observed  that  the  Bap. 
lists  were  more  agreed  as  to  the  credendl  than  the  agenJl  of  their  order  ; 
that  is,  they  were  more  united  in  their  doctrinal  sentiments,  than  hi 
modes  of  practice.  At  present  there  is  some  diversity  on  both  of 
these  points.  Bur  when  we  consider  that  they  are  spread  over  an  ex- 
tent of  country  more  than  two  thousand  miles  in  length,  and  from 
five  hundred  to  more  than  a  thousand  in  width  ;  that  they  have 
rapidly  increased  from  a  small  community  to  a  numerous  host  j  that 
among  them  are  persons  from  almost  every  nation  in  Europe,  and 
from  nearly  every  religious  persuasion  in  Christendom  ;  that  they  are 
not  hound  to  subscribe  to  any  Articles  or  Confessions  ;  that  every 
church  is  a  distinct,  independent  body,  governed  by  its  own  laws  and 
amenable  to  no  foreign  tribunal ;  that  they  admit  of  no  dictating  sy- 
nods, nor  controlling  assemblies  ;  I  say,  when  all  theie  things  are  con- 
sidered, instead  of  being  surprized  at  any  diversity  in  smaller  matters, 
it  is  rather  a  subject  of  wonder  that  there  is  such  an  agreement  in 
their  doctrinal  views,  and  such  a  correspondence  in  their  maxims  and 
modes  of  procedure. 

It  must  be  understood,  that  the  observations  we  are  here  making, 
regard  the  Associated  Baptists,  and  those,  who  are  in  communioa 
with  them.  The  minor  sects  of  baptized  believers,  have  been  describ- 
ed under  their  respective  heads. 

Throughout  America  and  in  England  and  its  dependencies,  the 
Baptists  form  but  one  body.  A  brother  from  the  farthest  churches 
on  the  American  continent,  or  from  the  rejnotest  part  of  the  British 
dominions,  need  only  produce  a  certificate  of  his  regular  standing, 
to  be  admitted  to  the  communion  and  fellowship  of  any  church  where 
his  lot  may  be  cast.  And  by  messengers  from  one  Association  to  anoth- 
er, by  the  interchange  of  minutes,  by  epistolary  communications,  &c. 
there  is  a  correspondence  constantly  maintained  throughout  tnis  wide 
connexion. 

There  is,  generally  speaking,  a  great  similarity  of  manners  among 
all  the  churches  on  the  American  continent ;  and  the  same,  I  con- 
clude, may  be  said  of  them  elsewhere;  yet  there  are  some  differences 
arising  from  local  habits,  and  from  that  cameleon  disposition  of  taking 
the  colour  of  the  nearest  object.  In  many  parts  of  the  New-England 
States,  there  is  a  dull,  unammating  manner,  among  both  ministers  and 
private  Christians,  which  they  seem  to  have  borrowed  tronj  their 
Pc-dobaptists  neighbours.  In  most  p^uls  of  the  Southern  and  \ VeMem 
States,  you  find  among  them  much  of  the  fervour,  the  ado,  and  arr.en, 
of  the  Methodists.  Among  the  country  churches  in  all  the  States  a 
cordial  and  unaffected  hospitality  prevails  ;  every  house  is  a  welcome 
home  for  ministers  and  brethren,  who  may  call.  The  churches  in 
towns  and  cities  for  the  most  part  exercise  hospitality  to  a  good  de- 
gree, and  some  at  the  southward  pay  a  marked  attention  to  visiting 
bmhien,  especially  ministers.  A  few  ckies  and  principal  towns,  in 


456  General  Observations, 

different  sections  of  this  wide-spread  empire,  are  visited  by  so  many 
brethren  and  even  ministers  on  business  of  a  secular  nature,  who,  as 
it  is  right  they  should,  provide  lodgings  for  themselves,  that  it  some- 
times happens  that  those,  who  are  on  religious  or  preaching  vi»it|  only 
are  left  to  provide  for  themselves. 

Take  this  denominations  at  large,  I  believe  the  following  will  be 
found  a  pretty  correct  statement  of  their  views  of  doctrine.  They 
hold  that  man  in  his  natural  condition  is  entirely  depraved  and  sinful ; 
that  unless  he  is  born  again — changed  by  grace — or  made  alive  unto 
God — he  cannot  be  fitted  for  the  communion  of  saints  on  earth,  nor 
the  enjoyment  of  God  in  Heaven ;  that  where  God  hath  begun  a. 
good  work,  he  will  carry  it  on  to  the  end  ;  that  there  is  an  election  of 
grace — an  effectual  calling,  &c.  and  that  the  happiness  of  the  righ- 
teous and  the  misery  of  the  wicked  will  both  be  eternal. 

The  doctrines*  of  Arius  and  Socinus,  with  their  concomitant  train 
©f  errors,  have  found  scarce  any  advocates  among  them  ;  if  any  em- 
brace these,  they  are  by  a  general  consent  disowned  and  excluded 
from  fellowship. 

The  doctrine  of  the  Atonement  has  been  differently  understood. 
The  old  churches  pretty  uniformerly  held  that  it  \vzsparticufar  ;  that 
is,  that  Christ  died  for  the  elect  only,  and  that  in  his  stupendous  suffer- 
ings, no  respect  was  had  to,  nor  any  provision  made  for,  any  others  of 
Adam's  ruined  race.  This  was  called  the  strict  Calvinistick  or  Gillke 
plan.  Yet  there  have  been  some  all  along,  who  found  this  meat  too 
strong  for  their  appetite  and  digestion.  These  brethren,  notwithstand- 
ing they  disclaimed  all  merit  in  the  creature,  and  held  that  salvation 
was  by  grace  alone,  were  generally  denominated  Arminians,  as  it  was 
thought  there  could  be  no  medium  between  the  systems  of  John  of 
Geneva,  and  James  of  Amsterdam.  The  latitudinarian  principles  of 
such  brethren,  had,  however,  gained  ground  considerably  previous  tr> 
the  importation  of  Dr.  Fuller's  piece,  entitled,  The  Gospel  worthy  of  all 
acceptation,  which  represents  the  Atonement  as  general  in  its  nature 
but  particular  in  its  application.  This  new  explanation  was  by  many- 
considered  as  affording  peculiar  relief  to  the  embarrassments  of  the 
Gillite  plan  ;  multitudes  every  where  became  the  disciples  of  our  fa- 
mous English  divine  ;  so  that  now  it  is  probable  the  greater  part  of 
the  American  churches  have  fallen  in  with  his  views.  There  are  some, 
however,  who  find  considerable  difficulties  attending  both  Gill's  and 
Fuller's  definitions  of  this  mysterious  subject,  and  who,  without  either 
sceptical  indefference,  or  a  strenuous  attachment  to  systems  of  hu- 
man arrangement,  content  themselves  with  believing  merely,  that 
God  jo  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that  who- 
soever lelieveth  on  him,  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life. 

*  It  -will  be  observed  by  the  retentive  render.  Ui:it  t'nv.nghout  this  vr^rk,  the 
author  has  never  used  the  word  doctrines  as  applied  to  such  s,e:itirsietits  as  our 
denomination  generally  acknowledge  to  be  true.  1  know  our  !x-st  writers  use 
the  expressions  Doctrines  ofths  Got/icl—Doctrinrt  of  Grarc,  csV.  I  do  iv.t 
s<ty  they  fire  wrong,  but  I  can  say  I  see  no  propriety  in  them.  The  rnultila- 
riaus  errors  of  human  and  internal  inventior.  a'v  clerioi-.iinated  :,'ic  doctrines  of 
men — the  doctrines  of  devils,  (S"c.  but  as  if  to  renivsrnt  the  iiincv  of  the  <r_-  , 
plan,  this  noun,  when  applied  to  divine  principles,  is  not  once  in  vhe  New-Tes- 
tament used  in  the  plurui,  but  always  in  the  singular  number.  Hence  w-  read 
of  sound  (.' r.r-ri -u-,  the  e/c  '  teach  msj  of  God— of  Christ — 

*lfS,  C'i>\ 


General  Observations,  &V.  457 

The  ministers  of  this  connexion  are,  for  the  most  pirt,  a  act  of  plain 
laborious  preachers,  wh  >  strive  more  to  address  themselves  to  tiie 
consciences  of  their  hearers,  than  to  amuse  them  with  the  fl  nvers  of 
rlietorick  and  the  embellishments  of  style.  But  a  small  portion  ctf 
them  have  any  considerable  share  of  human  learning,  bnt  they  aie 
capable  of  speaking  to  the  understanding  an-d  comfort  of  their  breth- 
ren :  no  set  of  preachers,  except  the  Methodists,  are  more  incessant  in 
their  labours  ;  none  preach  with  greater  effect ;  and,  with  not  many 
exceptions,  they  have  and  do  now  support  a  character  becoming 
their  sacred  profession  :  and  if  some  have  turned  out  bad,  let  the  de- 
nomination that  is  without  sin,  cast  the  first  stone.  When  it  is  con- 
sidered how  little  they  have  received  for  their  services,  and  how  strait- 
e;ied  their  circumstances  have  been,  it  is  a  matter  of  surprise  that  they 
have  continued  so  incessant  in  their  labours.  Some  may  ascribe  their 
zeal  to  party  and  proselyting  motives  ;  but  those  who  know  them  best, 
will  trace  it  to  a  higher  and  more  respectable  origin. 

As  a  body,  the  temporal  circumstances  of  our  brethren,  notwithstand- 
ing their  scanty  allowances,  have  been  bettered  more  than  a  hundred 
per  cent,  within  twenty  or  thirty  years  past.  I  am  inclined  to  think, 
considerably  over  five  hundred  churches  have  arisen  on  ground  which 
was  in  a  wilderness  state  at  the  close  of  the  last  war.  Most  of  the 
preachers  who  emigrated  early  to  these  settlements,  have,  by  taking  up 
new  lands  at  a  cheap  rate,  and  by  clearing  them  by  their  own  exertions, 
and  by  the  assistance  of  their  brethren,  obtained  estates  which  afford 
them  a  comfortable  subsistence  ;  and  some,  by  this  means  have  acquir- 
ed a  considerable  degree  of  opulence.  Many  of  those  in  older  settle- 
ments, have,  from  necessity,  found  out  expedients,  by  which  they  have 
obtained  a  competent  supply  of  the  meat  that  perisheth  ;  some  have  ac- 
quired good  estates  by  inheritance,  but  not  one  in  a  thousand  has  laid 
up  riches  to  any  considerable  amount  from  his  salary  for  preaching. 

Of  the  great  numbers  of  Baptist  ministers  in  America,  twenty  or  thir- 
ty are  probably  worth  twenty  thousand  dollars,  or  upwards ;  a  very 
few  are  reputed  to  be  worth  from  three  to  five  times  that  sum.  From 
fifty  to  seventy-five,  may  be  worth  ten  thousand  ;  four  or  five  hun- 
dred, five  thousand  ;  probably  about  two  hundred*  are  absolutely  poor, 
and  the  rest  hare  estates  of  every  variety  of  value  under  the  sum  last 
mentioned.  The  acquisition  of  the  knowledge  necessary  to  make 
this  statement  was  not  a  constituent  part  of  the  original  plan  of  this 
work ;  but  having  the  curiosity  to  learn  the  circumstances  of  my 
brethren,  I  made  inquiries,  not  of  them,  but  of  their  neighbours,  and 
am  confident  I  have  not  overrated  their  temporal  abilities. 

A  great  portion  of  these  ministers  are  in  the  middle  and  advanced 
stages  of  life  ;  those  who  are  young  in  the  ministry,  and  such  as  may 
hereafter  engage  in  it,  have  a  three-fold  prospect  before  them  :  ist, 
they  must  engage  in  a  systematic k  course  of  secular  concerns  for  a 
livelihood,  which  cannot  but  obstruct  their  ministerial  usefulness  ;  or, 
adly,  they  must  be  contented  to  sit  down  under  the  pressure  of  penury 
and  want  ;  or,  3dly,  the  churches  must  come  forward  upon  a  more, 
liberal  plan,  and  show  by  their  conduct  that  they  believe  what  their 
Bibles  teach  them  on  this  important  subject,  viz.  that  the  labourer  is 

*  In  this  number  we  do  not  include  those  who  are  not  yet  settled.  Counting 
tliem,  there  are  probablv  more  who  have  no  estate  ct  any  kind. 

VOL,  2.  5* 


General  Observations,  &c. 

worthy  of  his  hire,  and  that,  they,  who  preach  the  gospel,  shall  live 
of  the  same.  These  sentiments,  our  churches  uniformly  profess  to 
believe,  and  yet  too  generally  conduct  as  though  they  had  but  little 
influence  on  their  minds.  Their  parsimonious  habits  with  regard  to 
the  support  of  the  gospel,  were  acquired  at  an  early  period  of  their 
existence,  and  mostly  by  means  of  their  ministers,  who  declaimed  much 
against  hirelings,  salary- men,  £c.  and  many  had  to  feel  through  life 
the  ill  effects  of  their  instructions. 

In  New-England,  the  business  of  parish  taxes  for  the  support  of  the 
established  clergy,  was  pushed  forward  with  rigour,  and  ministers  and 
brethren  united  to  cry  down  the  offensive  and  unrighteous  economy, 
but  took  no  pains  to  establish  a  better  one  in  its  room.  The  tobacco 
salaries  of  the  Episcopal  clergy  in  Virginia  became  obnoxious  to  all 
dissenters,  and  to  none  more  than  the  Baptists  ;  but  in  arguing  against 
them,  they,  like  the  New-Englanders,  forgot,  or  at  least  made  no  pro- 
vision for  a  gospel  method  of  supporting  their  own  rninUters.  Neg- 
lectful habits  in  both  cases  ensued,  which  have  had  an  extensive  and 
unfriendly  influence.  Kentucky  is  nothing  more  than  a  part  of  Vir- 
ginia moved  over  the  mountains  ;  and  to  the  other  western,  and  all 
the  more  southern  States,  Virginian  brethren  emigrated,  and  carried 
their  calculations  with  them. 

There  is  a  line  of  old  churches  through  New-Jersey,  Pennsylvania» 
and  Delaware,  which  never  had  any  ecclesiastical  establishments  nor 
religious  publicans  to  contend  with,  and  which  have,  from  their  begin- 
ning, been  better  endowed,  and  made  better  provision  for  their  min- 
isters than  any  Baptist  churches  in  America. 

In  the  peculiar  circumitances  we  have  mentioned,  and  under 
the  unfriendly  biasses  they  produced,  most  of  the  early  churches  in 
this  country  be^an  their  career  ;  and  from  the  unseasonable  indiscrim- 
inatin^  discourses  6f  their  ministers,  they  became  deeply  instructed  in 
a  lesson,  which  covetous  nature  is  apt  enough  to  learn,  the  emb.irrass- 
ing  effects  of  which  are  feh  to  this  day.  A  deacon  once  s  *d  to  his 
minister,  The  Lord  lap  thee  humble,  and  we'll  keep  tkee  ponr.  A  minister 
once  said  to  his  people,  whom  he  was  obliged  to  leave,  Ton  love  the 
gospel — but  you  love  your  money  letter.  Ikit  whatever  inconveniences 
ministers  feel  from  the  parsimony  of  their  brethren,  they  generally  de- 
cline saying  much  on  the  subject.  And  indeed  it  is  an  unwelcome 
Usk  for  a  minister  to  teach  a  lesson,  which  he  ii  much  interested  to 
enforce,  but  his  people  to  oppose  and  neglect.  If  a  church  cannot  see 
and  will  not  supply  the  needs  of  their  pastor,  let  him  give  thtm  a  hint 
of  it  by  a  letter  of  resignation,  and  not  be  always  begging  for  more 
lalary. 

The  brethren  in  Virginia  perhaps  exceed  those  m  any  other  State 
in  withholding  their  carnal  things  from  those  who  labour  among  them. 
One  of  their  ministers,  who  is  very  thoroughly  acquainted  with  their 
affairs,  writes  thus:  "The  support  of  preachers  in  Virginia  is  ex- 
tremely precarious.  By  most  it  is  viewed  as  a  matter  of  alms,  and  of 
course  afforded  only  to  the  needy.  I  doubt  whether  there  is  one, 
who  averages  300  dollars  per  annum,  and  perhaps  not  ten,  who  get 
150  regularly.  Some  of  the  most  popular  and  laborious  preachers  in 
ihe  State,  often  pass  more  than  twelve  months,  without  receiving  a 
cent  for  their  publick  services.  No  man  dare  preach  about  it.  He 


General  Observations,  &c. 

is  at  once  defamed  as  a  money-hunter,  &c."  Similar  observations 
may  be  made  respecting  the  churches  in  many  other  parts  of  the 
United  States.  The  same  writer  informs  us,  that  "the  preachers  in 
Virginia,  notwithstanding  their  scanty  allowance,  are  generally  upon 
a  mediocrity  in  point  of  property  ;  if  any  thing,  rather  below."  'IVn, 
he  supposes.,  may  be  worth  ten  thousand  dollars  each,  independent  of 
their  slaves ;  seventy  or  eighty,  five  thousand ;  and  not  more  than  twen- 
ty in  the  State  may  be  called  paupers.  One  minuter  in  Chesterfield 
eounty  is  reputed  worth  a  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

As  a  further  illustration  of  the  views  of  many  of  our  brethren,  res- 
pecting their  duty  towards  their  ministers,  we  will  quote  the  two  fol- 
lowing ingenious  pieces,  which  were  written  about  the  same  time,  by 
men  who  lived  about  a  thousand  miles  apart,  and  who  appear  to  have 
been  wholly  unacquainted  with  each  other.  The  first  was  published 
by  Mr.  John  Leland,  in  his  Budget  of  Scraps,  in  1810.  The  other  is 
part  of  a  Circular  Letter,  which  was  published  in  the  Minutes  of  the 
Georgia  Association,  for  1808.  The  letter,  as  appears  by  the  Minutes, 
was  written  by  Rev.  Thomas  Rhodes. 

"MANY  MEN  OF  MANY  MINDS.. 

**  How  various  are  the  opinions  of  men  respecting  the  mode  of  sup- 
porting gospel  ministers  ! 

"  A  thinks  that  preachers  of  the  gospel  should  be  qualified,  inducted, 
and  supported  in  a  mode  to  be  prescribed  by  the  statute  laws. 

"  B  is  of  opinion  that  a  preacher  is  not  entitled  to  any  compensation 
for  his  services,  unless  he  is  poor  and  shiftless,  and  cannot  live  without 
the  alms  of  the  people. 

"  C  says,  that  it  takes  him  as  long  to  go  to  meeting  and  hear  the 
preacher,  as  it  does  for  the  preacher  to  go  and  preach,  and  their  obli- 
gations are  therefore  reciprocal. 

"  D  believes  that  a  rich  preacher  is  as  much  entitled  to  a  reward  for 
his  labour  as  if  he  was  poor, 

"  E  believes  a  preacher  should  give  the  wliole  of  his  time  to  reading, 
meditating,  preaching,  praying,  and  visiting  ;  and  therefore  he  ought 
to  be  libenilly  supported ;  not  in  the  light  of  alms,  but  in  that  of  a 
gospel  debt. 

"  F  joins  with  E,  with  this  proviso,  that  the  liberal  support  be  aver-  . 
aged  on  all  the  members  of  the  church,  according  to  property  and 
privilege. 

"  G  also  agrees  with  E,  provided  the  liberal  support  be  raised  by  a 
free,  publick  contribution,  without  any  knowledge  or  examination  v/hat 
each  individual  does. 

"  H  chooses  to  tax  himself,  and  constable  hie  own  money  to  his 
preacher,  without  consulting  any  other. 

"/  loves  the  preachers,  and  pays  them  with  blessings  ;  but  the  sound 
of  money  drives  all  good  feelings  from  his  heart. 

"  When  J  hears  a  man  preach,  that  he  does  not  believe  is  sent  of 
God,  he  feels  under  no  obligation  to  give  him  any  thing  ;  and  when  he 
hears  a  preacher  that  gives  him  evidence  that  he  is  in  the  service  of 
the  Lord  and  devoted  to  the  work,  he  forms  the  conclusion  that  the 
Lord  pays  the  preacher  well  for  his  work  as  he  goes  along. 

"  K  likes  preachers  very  well,  but  preaching  rather  better ;  he  feels, 


General  Observations,  &c. 

therefore,  best  pleased  when  the  preacher  fails  corning,  and  a  gap 
opens  for  himself;  for  he  had  rather  work  his  passage,  and  take  his 
turn  at  the  helm,  than  pay  a  pilot. 

*:  L  argues,  like  a  man,  that  the  preacher  ought  to  receive  some- 
thing handsome  fcr  his  services;  and  laments  that  himself  is  in  debt, 
and  cannot  communicate  any  thing  without  defrauding  his  creditors  : 
at  the  same  time,  he  takes  special  care  to  keep  always  in  debt  for  cheap 
farms,  wild  land,  or  some  other  article  of  an  increasing  nature. 

"  M  is  a  man  of  a  thousand.  He  argues  that  the  mode  of  support* 
ing  ministers  is  left  blank  in  the  New-Testamenr  ;  because  no  one  mode 
would  be  economical  in  all  places  :  but  that  the  deed  itself  is  enjoin- 
ed on  all,  who  aie  taught  by  an  ordinance  of  Heaven.  If,  therefore, 
a  contribution  is  recommended,  M  will  be  foremost  to  the  box.  When 
a  subscription  is  judged  most  advisable,  his  name  will  be  first  on  the 
list.  If  averaging  is  considered  most  equitable,  he  will  add  a  little  to 
his  bill,  lest  others  should  fail.  And  if  no  mode  at  all  is  agreed  upon, 
still^/,  as  an  individual,  will  contribute  by  himself ;  for  he  reasons, 
that  if  others  are  remiss,  it  is  neither  precedent  nor  excuse  for  him. 
He  does  not  give  to  be  seen  of  men,  but  because  his  heart  is  in  it : 
and  these  gospel  delis  (as  he  calls  them)  he  pays  with  as  much  devotion, 
as  he  spreads  his  hands  in  prayer  to  God.  The  creed  of  his  faith, 
which  seems  to  be  written  on  his  heart,  is,  "That  although  all  the 
money  in  the  world  cannot  purchase  pardon  of  sin,  or  the  smiles  of  a 
reconciled  God  ;  yet  religion  always  has  cost  money  or  worth,  from 
Abel's  lamb  to  the  present  day.  And  that  the  man  who  will  not  part 
with  a  little  money,  for  the  sake  of  him  who  parted  with  his  blood  for 
sinners,  is  a  wicked  disciple." 

"  N  approves  of  the  faith  and  profession  of  M  in  every  particular, 
bat  reduces  nothing  of  it  to  practice. 

«*  0,  like  his  make,  believes  nothing,  does  nothing,  and  is  as  near 
nothing  as  any  thing  can  be.'* 

from  the   Georgia  Minutes. 
"THE  CHURCH  IN  CONFERENCE  ASSEMBLED. 

"  The  deacon  arose  and  said,  "  It  is  time,  brethren,  to  make  up 
something  for  the  support  of  our  minister."  (Offering  &  subicrifthn) 
Whereupon, 

"  A  said  he  thought  it  to  be  a  matter  of  mere  clarity^  and  (as  charity 
begins  at  horre)  he  was  bound  to  provide  for  his  cwn  ;  at  any  rate, 
he  thought  the  minister  to  be  as  well  off  as  he,  and  many  of  his  breth- 
ren were  ;  and  therefore  considered  himself  under  no  obligation. 

"  B  replied,  that  it  could  not  be  a  matter  of  charity  at  ail,  since  the 
laws  of  nature  and  of  G^d  erjoir.ed  it ;  and  their  own  call  of  the 
brother  made  it  a  matter  of  ffzoraAobligation. 

"  C  alleged  that  he  had  iubscribed  liberally  to  a  useful  institution, 
and  must  be  excused  in  that  case. 

"  D  said,  he  had  assisted  freely  in  building  the  meeting-house,  and 
must  have  time  to  recover  it. 

"  E  rejoined,  he  had  been  building  houses  or  mills,  and  had  no 
money  left  for  any  purpose. 

"  F  said  he  had  a  son  lately  married.,  and  it  had  called  fcr  all  he 
raise. 


General  Observations,  &c.  4GI 

«!  G  stated,  that  he  had  made  several  contracts,  and  feared  he  should 
not  be  able  to  meet  them,  &c. 

"  H  arose  and  said,  he  was  very  much  astonished  at  the  pleas  urg- 
ed ;  as  if  liberalities  to  other  institutions,  aiding  -to  build  meeting-houses, 
erecting  costly  houses,  maLing  sumptuous  marriages,  or  contracts  to 
amai,s  wealth,  could  exonerate  from  a  positive  duty. 

"  /  remarked,  he  had  made  a  short  crop,  and  had  nothing  to  spare. 
To  which  agreed  J,  K,  L,  and  M. 

"  N  said,  he  was  poor,  and  though  willing  t  was  unable  to  do  any  tiling. 
With  whom  0,  P,  and  Q  agreed. 

"  R  stated,  that  start  crops  and  poverty  might  excuse  from  doing 
much,  but  could  be  no  just  plea  for  doing  nothing  ;  since  it  is  required 
according  to  what  he  has,  and  not  according  to  wh.it  he  has  not. 

"  S  said,  he  never  subscribed  to  any  paper.  To  whom  said  7*, 
"  Yes,  brother,  I  am  for  none  of  this  obligation  ;  if  I  get  any  thing  to 
spare,  I  will  give  it,  and  be  done  with  it." 

"  V,  W,  X  and,  T,  alleged,  that  they  thought  it  rather  dangerous 
to  give  liberally,  lest  they  should  make  their  minister  proud,  and  so  hin- 
der his  usefulness,  £c. 

"Z,  rising  soberly,  said,  he  had  attended  to  what  had  been  said  on 
the  subject,  and  was  grieved  in  spirit  to  hear  so  many  objections  to  the 
discharge  of  a  reasonable  and  just  duty  :  he  feared  that  a  spirit  of  pride 
and  covstotisnest  had  disposed  them  to  serve  themselves  of  the  good 
things  of  God,  without  returning  him  one  thankful  offering  :  he  won- 
dered how  Christians  could  expect  the  continuance  of  the  blessings  of 
life,  who  are  more  abusive  of,  and  unthankful  for  them,  than  heathens 
who  never  use  any  of  a  new  crop,  till  they  have  offered  the  first 
fruits  to  the  great  Giver  of  all  good.  To  the  brethren,  who  are  so 
afraid  of  spoiling  the  minister  by  liberalities,  he  said,  "  are  not  your 
sons  and  daughters  as  lovely,  and  their  souls  as  precious  in  your  sight 
as  your  minister  ?  If  so,  why  do  you  not  govern  them  by  the  same 
rule  ;  and  when  the  sons  request  superfine*  to  wear,  high  prized,  gaily 
horses,  andjifty  or  sixty  dollar  saddles  to  ride,  and  the  daughters  lute- 
string dresses  with  trails  from  three  to  Jive  feet  in  length,  fine  bonnets  and 
feathers,  and  other  costly  equipage  of  dress  ;  why  do  you  not  say,  "  no, 
my  lovely  children,  these  will  make  you  proud  and  ruin  you."  No, 
your  families  can  be  and  appear  in  all  the  fashionable  elegance  of  dress, 
and  your  boards  loaded  with  ail  the  luxuries  of  life,  without  adverting 
to  the  evil  consequences  of  such  conduct.  "  I  would,  (said  he)  that; 
brethren  would  be  consistent." 

"  Dear  brethren,  the  spirit  and  result  of  the  above  are  often  seen  in 
the  face  of  your  subscription-papers.  There  we  see  annexed  to  some 
names  ten  dollars;  to  others, five;  others, one;  and  others, nothing;  some 
giving  and  others  withholding  more  than  is  meet ;  by  which  it  much 
cftener  happens  that  the  preacher  is  like  the  colt  tied  where  two  ways 
met,  than  likely  to  be  exalted  by  the  abundance  of  your  liberality. 
And,  indeed,  if  any  of  you  think  the  standing  and  usefulness  of  your 
minister  depend  on  his  poverty,  we  would  advise  you  to  be  liberal  to 
him,  that  he  may  be  proven  and  stand  in  his  true  light ;  and  especially 
we  recommend  this  measure,  as  thereby  you  will  have  done  your  duty, 
and  relieved  a  poor  minister  of  God  on  the  one  hand,  or  have  detected 
H  hypocrite,  freed  the  church  of  a  pest,  and  the  world  of  an  impostor, 


4-62  General  Observations, 

on  the  other.  The  faithful  servant  of  Christ,  instead  of  being  haugh- 
ty, would  be  humbled  by  the  abounding  of  your  liberality.  How  re- 
lieved and  comforted  would  the  poor  minister  be,  if  his  brethren  were 
to  say  to  him,  as  a  late,  meek  old  minister  said  to  a  young  one  on  his 
commencing'  his  ministry—"  Go  on,  brother,  in  the  cause  of  your  Master % 
end  be  not  anxious  about  the  family,  for  they  shall  never  suffer  as  long  as  1 
liv?."  But  We  speak  not  with  respect  to  want,  or  that  we  des>ire  a  gift  $ 
but  that  you  may  have  fruit,  which  may  abound  to  y^ur  account,  to 
praise  and  honour  at  the  coming  of  Christ,  the  chief  Shepherd.  Phi- 
i'tpp.  iv.  ii  — 17."  

The  churches  in  the  cities  and  principal  towns  have  generally  de- 
vised means  to  afford  their  pastors  a  competent  support :  many  of 
those  in  the  country  have  reformed  much  of  their  former  negligence, 
and  a  more  liberal  spirit  is,  in  many  places,  prevailing. 

A  review  of  the  progress  of  the  gospel  will  convince  us  that  churches 
are  seldom  on  the  gospel  line  with  regard  to  the  support  of  their 
ministers  ;  and  it  is  highly  probable  that  upon  a  large  scale  the  cause 
of  Christ  has  been  more  injured  by  ministers'  receiving  too  much  than 
too  little.  A  preacher,  who  has  a  princely  salary,  it  tempted  to  adopt 
a  style  proportionate,  and  in  consequence  becomes  inaccessible  and  un- 
profitable to  the  poor  of  his  flock,  who  are  generally  the  most  numer- 
ous and  better  part  of  it. 

There  is  a  place  somewhere  between  the  palace  and  the  alms-house, 
Xvhere  the  ministers  of  the  gospel  ought  to  reside  ;  but  it  is  a  notorious 
fact,  that  the  real  servants  of  Christ,  in  all  ages  and  count:  ies,  as  John 
Leland  somewhere  observes,  have  been  like  the  camels  of  Arabia, 
who,  while  they  carry  spices  and  jewels,  feed  on  shrubs  and  thistles. 

As  to  our  connexion  in  America,  we  will  not  cast  all  the  blame  of 
this  affair  on  the  churches,  since  the  ministers  ought  to  bear  no  incon- 
siderable share  ef  it.  Many,  we  have  shown,  by  their  imprudent  dis- 
courses, excited  prejudices,  which  were  hard  to  counteract;  and  some 
at  this  present  time,  who  have  a  competency  of  worldly  things,  either 
by  heirship  or  by  the  favourable  turns  of  fortune,  refuse  to  receive  a 
reward  for  their  ministerial  services  ;  and,  to  gain  popularity,  speak  oft- 
en on  the  subject,  and  rather  discountenance  the  practice,  not  consider- 
ing that  but  few  of  their  brethren  are  in  their  circumstances.  'Many, 
who  engage  in  the  ministry,  go  directly  into  secular  employments, 
before  they  try  the  experiment,  whether  they  will  be  supported  without 
them.  They  soon  get  so  embarrassed  in  worldly  pursuits,  that  they 
cannot  devote  much  time  to  study  nor  visiting  their  flocks  ;  so  that  if 
their  people  give  them  but  little  lor  preaching,  they  give  as  much  as 
it  is  worth.  And  it  may  happen  that  those,  who  have  competent 
salaries  granted  them,  instead  of  being  assiduous  in  the  duties  of  their 
ministry,  spend  most  of  their  time  in  indolence,  or  else  in  plans  and 
pursuits  to  lay  up  money.  We  do  not  pretend  that  many  of  our  min- 
isters come  under  this  last  class,  as  but  few  of  them  are  in  the  circum- 
stances it  describes. 

The  Baptists  have  constantly  been  accused  of  despising  literature, 
and  of  teaching  maxims  unfriendly  to  its  prevalence.  This  is  an  accu. 
nation  in  many  respects  groundless,  in  others  it  needs  some  qualifica- 
tion. The  acquisition  of  the  common  rudiments  of  learning,  they 
fcave  certainly  always  encouraged  ;  bnt  they  have  se  ofttn  seen  Gretk, 


General  Observations,  &c.  463 

anJ  Latin,  and  Hebrew,  placed  over  the  head  of  the  Saviour,  that  it 
is  not  strange  if  they  have  carried  their  prejudices  against  learned 
ministers  to  an  undue  extreme.  But  a  relish  for  literature  is  prevail- 
ing, and  its  usefulness  to  ministers  is  more  generally  acknowledged 
than  formerly,  though  none  of  our  churches  nor  any  of  our  minisu-i  s, 
whether  learned  or  unlearned,  have  adopted  the  mnst  absurd  of  all 
absurd  propositions,  that  a  man  of  gifts  and  grace,  who  has  a  dispen- 
sation of  the  gospel  committed  to  him,  cannot  be  qualified  for  the 
work,  until  he  has  gone  the  round  of  academical  studies — obtained  a 
smattering  of  Greek  and  Latin — of  Euclid  and  Algebra — Navigation 
and  Surveying — been  constituted  Master  of  Arts — and  studied  divinity 
six  months  or  a  year.  Should  the  period  ever  arrive  in  which  Baptist 
churches  shall  confine  the  ministry  to  college-men  only,  then  transmi- 
gration will  be  rapid,  and  other  churches  will  be  formed  from  them, 
as  they  have  been  built  up  from  all  others,  who  have  adopted  this 
practice. 

That  learning  is  nseful  for  a  preacher,  none,  \vh«  know  its  beneSt 
or  have  f^lt  its  need,  will  deny  ;  but  the  true  church  of  Chribt  never 
has,  and  in  my  opinion  never  will,  hold  that  gospel  ministers  may  not 
guide  their  fellow-men  in  the  path  of  salration  without  it. 

The  Baptists  in  all  countries  and  ages  hare  allowed  and  encoura- 
ged all  their  brethren,  who  have  gilts,  whether  set  apart  for  the  min- 
istry or  not,  to  exercise  them  in  their  assemblies  ;  and,  when  they  are 
alive  in  religion,  have  many  conferences  and  social  meetings  for  the 
purpose.  Meetings  for  social  worship  will  generally  be  found  a  c^ocd 
thermometer,  by  which  the  temperature  of  churches  may  be  correct- 
ly ascertained :  those  which  have  no  meetings  except  on  Lord's  dayr, 
and  where  none  but  the  minister  takes  any  part  in  devotional  exercises, 
may  be  considered  in  a  cold  latitude. 

Some  of  our  churches  approbate  brethren  to  preach,  whose  gifts 
lie  mostly  in  exhortation,  and  many  have  wished  for  some  regulation 
of  this  matter.  In  churches  where  graces  abound,  and  whose  mem- 
bers stand  at  their  proper  posts,  there  will  be  a  great  variety  of  gifts, 
which  ought  to  be  encouraged  as  Mpt^  both  to  the  pastor  and  flock:. 
These  gifts  ought  to  be  examined  by  the  church,  and  each  brother 
advised  to  exercise  himself  in  the  duty,  which  he  appears  best  quiii- 
fied  to  perform.  But  none  should  be  sent  out  in  the  ministerial  char- 
acter, nor  be  invested  with  the  pastoral  office,  but  such  as  are  able 
both  to  unr>ld  and  defend  the  doctrine  of  the  cross.  A  brother  may- 
be u-eful  at  home,  who  is  posrly  qualified  to  travel  and  preach 
abroad. 

Our  churches  generally  license  (as  it  is  called)  those  who  have  gifts 
promising  for  the  ministry  ;  and  after  standing  as  lincentiatesa  ye.ir  or 
two,  they  are  ordained  as  administrators.  This  custom  they  I; 
probably  slid  into  without  much  consideration.  Some  are  of  opinion: 
that  a  man,  who  is  fellowsbippcd  as  a  preacher  of  the  gospel,  should 
at  the  same  time  be  qualified  to  administer  its  ordinances.  If  it  be  .- 
z  trial  is  necessary  to  determine  whether  he  have  gifts  or  not,  they  ie- 
ply,  Let  this  trial  be  sufficiently  made  before  he  receives  his  license  or 
approbation,  and  let  him  be  kept  at  home  and  under  the  eye  of  thi 
church  during  t«e  tinis.  This  measure  would  contiue  ordination  t» 
tlie  church. 


46-fc  General  Observations,  £sV. 

Most,  who  become  preachers  among  the  Baptists,  do  it  with  reluc- 
tance anxl  with  many  fears  of  their  insufficiency  ;  and  indeed  I  think 
no  man  should  undertake  to  preach,  if  he  can,  with  a  good  conscience, 
let  it  alone  ;  or,  to  speak  without  paradox,  those  whom  God  designs 
for  his  service  will  find  a  necessity  laid  upon  them  ;  all  their  views, 
plans  and  calculations  will  centre  in  the  service  of  the  sanctuary,  and 
all  the  anticipated  scenes  of  future  life  will  be  placed  in  the  gospel 
vineyard.  When  churches  are  in  gospel  order,  those  who  are  excited 
by  the  Divine  Spirit  to  the  sacred  work  of  dispensing  the  word  of  life, 
will  have  no  occasion  to  press  their  brethren  for  approbation  :  they 
will  discover  their  gifts,  will  foster  them,  and  lead  them  forward  to 
their  proper  employment.  There  are,  now  and  then,  cases  of  brethren 
taking  it  into  their  heads  they  mutt  preach,  when  no  body  else  thinks 
they  can ;  and  some  churches,  instead  of  dealing  plainly  with  them, 
and  deciding  according  to  their  judgments,  set  them  to  work  to  keep 
them  quiet.  But  these  instances,  we  are  glad  to  say,  are  not  common. 

Associations  among  the  Baptists  have  arisen,  in  some  cases,  from 
necessity,  in  others  from  convenience,  but  in  most  from  imitation. 
Their  utility  cannot  be  disputed ;  their  powers  are  generally  defined 
to  be  just  none  at  all,  and  yet  many  fear  that  they  may  in  time  Ubiirp 
too  high  a  place.  Many  benefits  have  followed  their  operation,  yet 
some  difficulties  have  also  attended  their  progress,  as  the  preceding 
narratives  will  show.  When  they  are  held  and  managed  as  assem- 
blies for  edification  and  councils  of  advice,  no  harm  can  possibly  result 
to  the  churches  from  them  ;  their  independency,  in  the  strictest  sense  of 
the  word,  may  be  maintained  in  an  associate  connexion.  There  is, 
however,  in  the  human  mind,  an  anxious  desire  for  a.  court  of  appeal ; 
and  some  Associations,  by  listening  to  the  complaints  of  individuals,  by 
interfering  and  deciding  in  the  controversies  of  churches,  have  embar- 
rassed their  progress,  and  taken  stands  which  they  could  not  maintain, 
consistent  with  their  advisory  principles.  Churches  in  the  same  As- 
sociation often  fall  into  disputes,  by  which  their  fellowship  is  interrupt- 
ed ;  and  it  is  certainly  preposterous  and  inconsistent  for  them  to  re- 
main in  an  associated  fellowship,  when  they  are  at  variance  at  home. 
In  such  cases,  ail  agree  something  should  be  done  ;  but  this  something 
has  never  been  clearly  and  satisfactorily  defined.  Some,  because  of 
these  things,  object  to  Associations  altogether,  as  difficult  in  their  man- 
agement, dangerous  in  their  consequences,  and  likely  to  do  more  hurt 
than  good.  It  is  oftener  mflch  easier  to  find  fault  with  others  than 
amend  ourselves  :  those  very  persons,  who  object  to  Associations, 
form,  notwithstanding,  ecclesiastical  combinations  much  of  the  same 
nature.  As  naturally  as  animals  of  the  same  species  flock  together,  so 
will  Christians  of  the  same  sentiments  gather  into  churches,  and 
churches  of  the  same  faith  and  order  form  into  combinations  or  As- 
sociations of  some  kind  or  other.  Most  heads  have  horns,  which  may 
be  misused  ;  all  have  places  where  they  may  be  planted,  and  the  bu.-iness 
of  those  who  fear  their  effects,  is  to  bind  them  fast,  or  keep  them  from 
growing.  A  duly  organized  church  of  Christ  is  the  highest  ecclesias- 
tical tribunal  on  earth,  from  whose  decisions  there  is  no  appeal.  If 
Associations  cannot  be  maintained  without  infringing  upon  this  prin- 
ciple, they  had  better  be  given  up  :  but  those,  who  have  been  the  long- 
est concerned  in  them,  and  who  are  best  qualified  to  give  a  judgment 
in  the  case,  believe  they  can. 


General  Observations,  EsV.  465 

The  word  Society  is  used  in  different  senses  by  different  portions 
of  the  American  Baptists.  It  is  frequently  applied  in  all  places  to  the 
denomination  at  large.  In  Kentucky  and  some  other  pares,  when  they 
speak  of  members  in  society,  they  mean  church  members  only.  In 
some  places,  particularly  in  New-York,  by  society  meetings  aie  gen- 
erally understood  meetings  tor  social  worship  ;  but  throughout  New- 
England,  and  in  many  places  in  a  number  of  other  States,  the  U'rm 
Society  is  applied  to  a  body  of  men,  who  profess  an  attachment  to 
Baptist  principles,  and  who  are  associated  in  a  distinct  capacity  to 
co-operate  with  the  churches.  The  laws  of  New-England  make  it 
necessary  for  every  distcnter  to  take  shelter  somewhere  ;  the  Baptists, 
;it  an  early  period,  set  apart  outward  sanctuaries,  like  the  court  of  the 
Gentiles,  hard  by  the  porches  of  their  temples,  in  which  those,  who 
were  inclined  to  their  sentiments,  might  find  protection.  And  now  a 
multitude  of  churches  in  New-England,  and  many  elsewhere,  have 
attached  to  their  interests  large  fraternities  of  adherents  called  society- 
men.  They  have  no  voice  in  the  churches,  nor  any  concern  in  their 
discipline  or  spiritual  affairs  ;  in  outward  concerns  they  take  a  part, 
and  often  do  the  most.  These  societies  are  regulated  by  rules  of  their 
own,  and  no  very  rigorous  requirements  are  made  of  candidates  for 
admission.  The  brethren  of  churches  generally  are  members  of  them, 
some  others  are  hopefully  men  of  piety,  who  have  not  professed  relig- 
ion, and  of  the  rest  many  are  worthy  characters,  who  arc  sincerely 
attached  to  the  Baptist  cause,  and  do  much  for  its  support ;  but  some 
are  like  rough  or  rolling  stones  in  a  building  j  they  have  no  convic- 
tion of  Baptist  sentiments,  care  nothing  for  them  or  their  cause,  laugh 
at  their  zeal,  and  after  having  christened  themselves  with  their  name, 
ridicule  all  their  distinguishing  sentiments  and  practices ;  in  some  in- 
stances, they  have  been  chased  into  this  Baptist  oat-house  by  the  parish 
assessors,  in  others  they  have  come  from  political  motives,  many  from 
whim  and  caprice,  but  nobody  can  tell  why  many  of  the  rest  have 
taken  a  stand  on  the  Baptist  side.  These  observations  must  be  under- 
stood as  applying  to  this  social  system  at  large.  These  societies  are 
not  always  set  in  motion  by  church  members,  but  are  often  formed 
before  any  churches  arise,  and  cases  are  not  uofrequent  for  them  to 
exist  many  years  without  any  church  near  them.  Many  of  these  so- 
cieties r.ri  now  found  in  Connecticut ;  they  must  take  some  name, 
and  as  the  Baptists  are  the  most  popular  dissenting  sect,  they  choose 
theirs,  but  they  are  often  about  as  clear  of  Baptist  principles  as  the 
Saybrook  Platform.  They  are  mere  bodies  politick,  and  are  founded 
from  motives  not  purely  religious.  In  most  cases,  Church  and  Socie- 
ty are  like  the  two  branches  of  a  legislature,  only  one  legislates  on  spir- 
ituals and  the  other  on  temporals  ;  the  concurrence  of  both  branches, 
however,  is  generally  sought  for  in  the  settlement  of  ministers,  and  all 
important  undertakings,  which  regard  the  community  at  large.  Be- 
tween these  two  branches  a  good  degree  of  harmony  generally  subsists, 
but  in  some  instances  the  church  is  thwarted,  embarrassed,  and  over- 
ruled in  its  measures  by  the  mors  numerous  and  wealthy  society-men, 
especially  in  the  settlement  of  ministers.  All  the  Pedobaptist  estab- 
lishments in  New-England  exist  under  the  firm  of  Church  and  Society, 
and  many  of  the  Baptists  and  Methodists,  and  almost  all  other  dissent- 
ers have  adopted  the  economy.  These  societies  have  enabled  many 
VOL.  2.  .59 


466  General  Observations,  fcf<r. 

of  our  churches  to  build  costly  meeting-houses,  and  do  many  other 
great  things,  which  mi^ht  not  have  been  done  without  them  ;  but  af- 
ter all  that  may  be  said^  in  their  favour,  it  is  sincerely  believed,  that  it 
would  have  been  more  for  their  reputation  and  comfort,  if  they  had 
never  existed.  If  1  am  rightly  informed,  our  brethren  in  England 
know  nothing  of  this  economy  ;  and  I  am  certain,  that  more  than  half 
the  churches  in  the  United  States  have  none  of  these  curious  appen- 
dages. Real  friends  and  adherents  do  just  as  much  in  building  meet- 
ing-houses, supporting  ministers,  &c.  where  they  are  not  formed  into 
societies,  as  where  they  are  ;  and  one  peculiar  advantage  ofr  being  with- 
out them  is,  that  houses  of  worship  and  other  property  for  religious 
uses  are  and  must  be  vested  in  the  churches,  and  be  under  their  direc- 
tion and  control.  But  the  existence  of  these  bodies  has  led  to  an  em- 
barrassing tenure  of  possessions  of  this  kind,  which  many  of  our  church- 
es are  heartily  sick  of,  but  which  they  cannot  well  reform.  Those, 
who  are  beginning  their  measures,  will  do  well  to  avoi  i  it.  Let  houses 
of  worship,  and  all  possessions  be  held  by  the  churches,  and  let  them 
be  contented  with  what  they  can  do  upon  this  principle.  These  reflec- 
tions are  not  intended  to  have  any  bearing  upon  party  disputes  on  this 
subject ;  they  are  the  result  of  many  observations  1  have  made  in  my 
travels  among  the  American  churches. 

In  England,  all  must  pay  their  tithes  to  the  church,  let  them  belong 
to  what  denomination  they  may  ;  the  New-England  law-makers  have 
provided  an  escape  for  dissenters,  as  we  have  already  shown.  The 
most  we  can  say  in  favour  of  these  societies  is,  that  they  have  afforded 
a  shelter  for  many  characters,  who  would,  without  them,  have  been  dis- 
trained upon  for  religious  taxes  to  support  a  worship,  which  they  did  not 
attend,  and  in  which  they  had  no  belief;  but  it  ought  also  to  be  observ- 
ed, that  many  have  fled  to  these  refuges,  who  have  no  principles  only 
to  save  their  money,  and  have  been  a  dead  weight  upon  the  Baptist 
cause.  In  Massachusetts  they  can,  by  refusing  certificates  to  such 
characters,  turn  them  over  again  to  the  toimenters,  which,  however, 
is  not  done  so  frequently  as  it  ought  to  be  ;  in  Connecticut,  where  they 
write  their  own  certificates,  this  mode  of  redress  does  not  exist. 

The  Baptists  are  by  no  means  uniform  in  the  appellations  they  give 
their  ministers  ;  but  the  greater  part,  both  in  their  conversation  and 
writings,  denominate  them  elders  ;  many,  particularly  in  tKeir  writ- 
ings, give  them  the  title  of  Rev.  while  others  use  the  common  appella- 
tion of  Mr.  The  Greek  Presbuteros,  the  Latin  Presbyter,  and  the 
English  word  Elder,  are  all  synonimous,  and  signify  one  advanced 
in  years.  But  as  the  ministers  of  God  do  or  ought  to  possess  the 
wisdom  and  gravity  of  seniors,  the  term  Elder  is  frequently  applied 
to  them  throughout  the  New-Testament,  and  is  altogether  proper  to 
express  their  character.  It  is  true,  the  word  Elder  is  in  some  places 
in  the  New-Testament  applied  to  persons  on  account  of  age,  but  more 
generally  it  regards  their  office. 

The  Greek  Episkopos,  the  Latin  Episcopus,  and  the  English  word 
Bishop,  are  also  all  of  the  same  import ;  they  literally  mean  an  over- 
seer, and  no  word  is  more  proper  to  be  applied  to  the  pastor  of  a 
church  ;  but  it  has  so  long  been  confined  to  a  dignified  set  of  ecclesi- 
atticks,  that  dissenters  have  generally  agreed  to  give  it  up  to  them. 

The  title  of  D.  D.   our  ministers  receive  from  home  ;  it  is  consid- 
in  modern  times  merely  an  academical  compliment,  and  as  such 


General  Observations,  &c.  467 

may  not  be  very  objectionable.  Strictly  speaking,  every  teacher  is  a 
doctor,  as  the  word  comes  from  the  Latin  doceo,  to  teach. 

I  know  not  where  the  term  Reverend,  as  applied  to  ministers,  came 
from,  unless  it  was  manufactured  by  Fastosus  at  Rome.*  I  do  not 
say  that  it  is  an  heretical  or  presumptuous  title,  as  some  have  done  ; 
but  yet  there  is  something  in  the  sound  of  it  I  do  not  like,  notwith- 
standing it  is  frequently  used  in  the  foregoing  narratives.  Morgan 
Edwards,  uniformly  in  all  his  writings,  gives  the  title  of  Rev.  to 
his  ministers,  whether  Particular  or  General  Baptists,  Tunkers,  Keith- 
ians,  Mennonites,  or  Rogerenes.  Many  others  pretty  generally  make 
all  their  ministers  Reverends.  In  quoting  from  these  writers,  wherev- 
er this  title  has  been  found,  I  have  let  it  stand,  and  have  also,  in  con- 
formity to  custom,  used  it  in  some  other  cases. 

The  greater  part  of  the  American  Baptists  hold,  that  singing  in 
publick  worship  ought  to  be  led  by  church  members,  and  practise  ac- 
cordingly. In  some  places,  the  sacred  service  is  committed  to  a  se- 
lect choir  of  adepts  in  musick,  whetiier  professors  of  religion  or  not ; 
and  in  some  few  instances,  men  of  no  religious  pretensions  are  appoint- 
ed to  lead  them.  Preaching  is  rather  an  exhibition  of  gospel  truth 
than  an  act  of  devotion  ;  prayer  and  praise  are  the  two  chief  parts  of 
publick  worship,  and  certainly  none  but  Christians  are  fit  to  lead  in 
either.  I  would  not  silence  any,  who  are  disposed  to  sing ;  but  to  set 
a  man  to  lead  in  the  solemn  praises  of  God,  who  nobody  supposes 
can  join  in  the  worship,  is,  in  my  opinion,  preposterous  and  wrong. 
If  church  members  cannot  sing  so  well,  let  them  do  it  as  well  as  they 
can  ;  and  if  no  Christian  is  capable  of  conducting  this  service,  let  it  be 
omitted,  rather  than  employ  an  ungracious  man  for  the  purpose.  In 
the  cases  we  have  supposed,  singing  is  considered  as  an  exhibition  of 
musical  skill  rather  than  a  devotional  exercise.  Let  the  sacred  em« 
ployment  be  performed  with  that  holy  solemnity,  which  becomes  the 
devout  worshippers  of  the  august  Jehovah ;  let  it  be  viewed  in  the 
same  light  as  prayer  and  other  religious  duties,  and  thoughtless,  irreli- 
gious people  will  not  be  forward  to  engage  in  it. 

I  would  not  assume  the  dictatorial  chair,  nor  act  the  censor's  part, 
yet  I  will  take  the  liberty  of  mentioning  a  few  things  more,  which 
appear  to  me  worthy  of  consideration. 

Some  churches,  it  is  thought,  carry  their  censures  too  far  against 
those  ministers,  who  have  been  guilty  of  faults  which  would  be  easily 
overlooked  in  a  private  brother  ;  others  restore  to  the  holy  office  such 
ministers  as  ought  never  to  be  restored.  A  minister,  who  has  been 
guilty  of  what  may  be  considered  a  capital  fall,  who  has  committed 
crimes  for  which  he  has  been,  or  would  be,  if  prosecuted  by  human 
courts,  condemned  to  severe  penalties,  may  have  repentance,  and  may 
be  restored  to  church  fellowship,  but,  in  the  opinion  of  many  good 
judges,  ought  never  to  be  reinstated  in  the  ministry.  They  may  preach 
as  well  as  before  ;  but  the  sad  things  against  them  will  be  in  the  minds 
of  their  hearers  like  the  dead  flies  of  the  apothecary.  Very  few  such 
characters  have  been  restored,  and  it  is  hoped  none  will  be  in  future. 

Ministers,  who  have  long  borne  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day, 
who  have  exhausted  the  energies  of  their  nature  in  the  service  of  thei- 

*  See  Vol.  i.  p  16. 


468  General  Observations,  EsV. 

brethren,  who  have  sacrificed  every  worldly  consideration  to  be  in- 
cessantly engaged  in  the  service  of  the  sanctuary,  are  too  often  aban- 
doned in  the  decline  of  life,  by  those  very  churches  which  they  have 
been  the  instruments  of  building  up,  and  shifted  off  to  seek  their  living 
among  their  children  and  relatives,  among  sympathetic!;  people  of 
the  world,  or  wherever  they  can  find  it.  If  the  laws  of  nature  and 
of  God  bind  children  to  provide  for  their  parents  when  they  are  old, 
what  obligations  are  imposed  on  the  children  of  the  church,  to  com- 
fort and  support  their  spiritual  father?,  while  tottering  down  the  de* 
clivity  of  age  !  But  for  this  duty,  and  almost  every  other,  where 
money  is  in  question,  many  plead  inability.  But  I  have  for  the  most 
part  no  belief  in  this  plea  ;  many,  it  is  true,  are  poor,  but  there  is 
among  our  brethren  an  abundance  of  worldly  substance,  which  they 
are  treasuring  up  for  their  heirs.  When  they  came  into  the  church, 
they  profejsed  to  give  up  themselves,  and  all  they  had,  to  the  Lord  ; 
but  when  called  on  to  deal  out  of  their  substance  for  the  support  of 
the  cause,  their  contributions  are  not  like  those  of  the  rich,  who  cast 
into  the  treasury,  but  literally  like  the  widow's  two  mites.  Let  the 
rich  retrench  their  superfluities  ;  let  the  poor  double  their  economy  ; 
and  let  all  conduct  as  if  they  believed  they  were  stewards  of  the  manU 
fold  bounties  of  God,  and  under  an  awful  responsibility  for  their 
stewardship. 

The  neglect  of  aged  ministers  is  a  lamentable  evil,  but  that  of  the 
widows  and  children  of  these  who  are  gone,  is,  if  possible,  greater. 
An  old  servant  of  God,  with  his  ver.erabla  hairs,  will  be  remembered, 
and  will  be  comforted  by  scino  of  the  compassionate  sons  of  nature, 
if  the  churches  neglect  him  ;  but  the  widow  and  fatherless  are  in  dan. 
ger  of  being  entirely  forgotten.  There  is  the  lonely  consort  of  the 
man,  who  xvas  once  zealously  engaged  in  the  service  of  his  God  ;  but 
who  was  taken  away  in  the  meridian  of  his  days.  She  was  once  re- 
spected and  happy ;  her  house  was  the  resort  of  ministers  and  Chris- 
tian friends,  in  whose  prayers  she  was  always  remembered.  But  now, 
those  for  whom  she  toiled  like  Martha,  pass  her  by.  The  churches 
have  nothing  of  all  their  stores  to  spare  for  her  comfort,  and  with  her 
tender  and  fatherless  babes,  she  is  left  in  a  wide  world,  forsaken  and 
disconsolate.  I  c-'nnot  refrain  from  weeping  while  I  write  ;  and  it  is 
hoped  that  these  suggestions  will  not  be  in  vain. 

It  is  proper  here  to  observe,  that  the  Warren  Association,  many- 
years  ago,  adopted  the  benevolent  custom  of  making  an  annual  col- 
lection, at  the  close  of  the  Association  sermon,  for  the  express  purpose 
of  assisting  the  widows  and  fatherless  children  of  such  ministers  as 
have  deceased  in  their  connexion.  Some  of  their  collections  have 
amounted  to  about  an  hundred  dollars,  though  they  are  generally 
considerably  under  that  sum.  A  committee  of  judicious  brethren  is 
immediately  appointed  to  divide  these  collections  according  to  their 
discretion,  and  distribute  the  dividends  to  their  proper  objects.  The 
Boston  Association  has  adopted  the  same  custom,  and  these  two  bodies, 
after  distributing  sums  to  a  considerable  amount  to  the  disconsolate 
objects  of  their  compassionate  regard,  have  on  hand  a  fund  of  about 
three  hundred  dollars,  which  belongs  to  them  jointly.  If  all  Associa- 
tions would  adopt  this  custom,  much  good,  we  are  confident,  might 
V?  donOi 


General  Observations,  &c.  469 

Churchc?,  and  other  religious  institutions,  often  lose  much  of  their 
funds  for  the  want  of  those  prudent  measures,  which  every  man  thinks 
it  necessary  to  use  for  the  security  of  his  own  property. 

Many  of  our  churches,  eipecially  of  late  years,  have  built  their  large 
and  costly  homes  of  worship  so  much  on  credit,  that  they  are  obliged 
either  to  travel  extensively  to  solicit  aid,  which  has  become  an  irksome 
task,  or  else  remain  long  in  debt  and  embarrassment.  In  most  of 
these  houses  the  pews  are  sold  to  the  highest  bidders,  and  the  best  of 
them  are  frequently  taken  up  by  the  rich,  who  are  seldom  seen  in  them, 
while  the  greater  part  of  those,  for  whose  peculiar  benefit  the  house 
was  dedicated  to  the  service  of  God,  and  who  give  a  constant  attend- 
ance on  the  service  of  the  sanctuary,  are  obliged  to  retire  to  galleries 
and  corners.  If  pews  must  be  sold,  (which  it  were  better  to  avoid) 
let  the  church  take  up  a  certain  portion  of  them  in  eligible  situations, 
and  hold  them  in  reserve  for  those  worthy  poor  of  the  flock,  who  are 
not  able  to  purchase  for  themselves. 

The  circumstance  of  one  minister's  performing  the  pastoral  office 
in  two,  three,  or  four  churches,  has  already  come  under  review.  We 
proposed  to  make  further  observations  on  the  subject ;  but  if  the 
churches  so  supplied  ?.re  contented  with  the  economy,  we  will  say 
nothing  more  about  it. 

By  reviewing  the  foregoing  sketches,  we  see  that  the  Baptists  have 
spread  over  a  wide  extent  of  territory  in  this  western  world,  and  have 
increased  to  a  numerous  body.  They  now  fill  posts  of  honour  and 
profit  in  every  department  of  State.  They  officiate  as  Members  of 
the  Council  of  the  Nation,  Judges,  Generals,  Counsellors,  and  Magis- 
trates ;  and  in  every  branch  of  government,  whether  legislative,  ex- 
ecutive, or  judiciary,  they  are  found. 

Under  these  considerations,  two  passages  of  scripture  suggest  them- 
eelves  to  our  minds  ;  The  Lord  hath  done  great  things  for  us,  whereof  -we 
tire  glad.  B$  not  high  minded,  but  fear. 

Questions  and  Answers. 

f^r 

IT  is  customary  in  all  Associations,  for  all  churches,  which  please, 
to  send  in  questions  on  all  subjects,  concerning  which  they  may  desire 
the  opinions  of  their  brethren.  Some  of  these  questions  regard  local 
affairs,  some  are  self-evident  propositions,  which  admit  of  no  dispute, 
while  many  are  deserving  of  serious  attention.  Many  of  the  As- 
sociations in  the  northern  States  hurry  through  their  business  so  rap- 
idly  since  they  have  become  large,  that  they  have  but  little  time  to 
say  or  think  much  upon  any  thing,  and  for  that  reason  many  ques- 
tions, which  merit  a  free  and  fair  discussion,  are  disposed  of  in  haste, 
and  receive  only  vague,  ambiguous,  and  unsatisfactory  answers.  la 
looking  over  the  multitude  of  Minutes,  which  have  fallen  into  my 
hands,  the  following  questions,  with  their  answers,  have  appeared  t» 
me  worthy  of  being  recorded,  and  may  serve  as  a  supplement  to  the 
preceding  observations.  From  their  nature,  they  admrt  of  no  particu- 
lar plan  of  arrangement. 

Question. — Is  it  consistent  with  the  principles  and  conduct  of  a 
Christian,  for  a  person  to  join  himself  to  a  lodge  of  free-masons  ?  And 
if  this  be  answered  in  the  affirmative,  Is  it  orderly  for  him  to  asso- 


470  General  Observations,  &c. 

ciate  with  a  lodge  of  the  fraternity,  who  are  evidently  persons  of  im- 
moral lives,  and  whose  assembling  together  proves  a  mean  of  increas- 
ing immoral  conduct  ? 

Answer — First.  As  an  essential  part  of  the  masonick  constitution 
is  secrecy,  die  Association  find  themselves  greatly  disqualified  for  giv- 
ing a  decided  answer  to  the  first  part  of  the  query.  The  universal 
benevolence  professed  by  the  members  of  that  body  ;  the  acts  of  kind- 
ness and  liberality  actually  performed  in  many  instances  by  them  ; 
and  the  existence  of  persons  professing  Christianity  in  that  connexion, 
make  in  favour  of  it ;  but  on  the  other  hand,  the  necessity  a  person  is 
laid  under,  to  bind  himself  by  the  most  solemn  engagements  to  secre- 
cy, before  he  can  receive  the  necessary  information  to  enable  him  to 
form  a  regular  and  conscientious  judgment  on  the  subject,  and  which, 
should  he  finally  disapprove  it,  must  prove  of  the  most  embarrassing 
nature,  appears  to  be  so  inconsistent  both  with  reason  and  religion, 
that  it  should  seem,  at  least,  advisable  for  serious  Christians  to  avoid 
the  connexion  ;  especially  as  we  are  amply  furnished  with  directions, 
and  aided  by  the  most  powerful  and  sublime  motives  to  the  purest 
benevolence,  in  the  scheme  of  our  holy  religion,  and  as  the  principles 
of  all  the  useful  branches  of  science  are  open  to  the  freest  access. 
Yet  we  think  the  subject  so  intimately  connected  with  the  rights  of 
private  judgment,  that  a  person  should  be  left  to  his  own  conscien- 
tious determination  respecting  it. Second.  To  associate  with  im- 
moral persons,  so  as  to  give  countenance  to  their  immoralities,  is  cer- 
tainly evil.  Subjects  of  usefulness  and  duty,  do  at  times,  however, 
call  us  to  act  in  connexion  with  such  persons,  which,  though  it  expo- 
ses to  danger  and  disgust,  may  be  consistently  done  ;  while  we  care- 
fully distinguish  between  the  lawful  transaction,  by  pursuing  only 
that,  and  the  incidental  evil,  which  we  avoid.  But  to  associate  with 
immoral  persons,  where  duty  in  one  form  or  other  does  not  call,  is  to 
take  part  in  their  immoralities.  The  decision  on  the  latter  part  of 
the  query,  therefore,  must  depend  on  the  judgment  which  ought  to 
be  formed  of  the  business  of  a  masonick  lodge,  "  Whether  it  is  a  mat- 
ter of  duty  or  not?" Minutes  of  Charleston  Association  for  1798. 

This  question  has  been  a  great  many  times  discussed  in  different 
Associations,  but  in  no  case  has  it  received  a  more  candid  and  satis- 
factory answer. 

To  the  Roanoke  Association  in  1803,  the  following  question  was 
presented,  viz.  Will  the  word  of  God  tolerate  a  minister  of  the  gos- 
pel iu  sueing  for  a  post  of  honour  and  profit  in  legislation,  and  retain 
the  privileges  of  his  ministerial  office  at  the  same  time  ? 

"  For  reasons  unknown,"  says  Mr.  Sempie,  "  the  Association  nev- 
er answered  this  question.  We  will,"  continues  he,  "  offer  a  few  re- 
flections. For  a  real  minister  of  God's  word  to  become  a  candidate 
for  a  political  office,  seems  to  us  more  absurd,  than  for  a  man  made 
prime  minister,  to  sue  for  the  office  of  constable.  Doubtless,  in  the 
view  of  a  sound  mind,  the  disparity  between  the  office  of  prime  min- 
ister and  that  of  constable,  is  not  so  great  as  between  a  legitimate 
stand  in  the  pulpit  and  a  seat  in  Congress.  As  the  heavens  are  higher 
than  the  earth,  so  are  God's  honours  above  man's." 

Quest.  Can  this  Association  receive  churches  into  fellowship,  who 
do  not  hold  it  a  term  of  communion,  that  heads  of  families,  in  ordi- 
nary cases,  attend  daily  family  prayer  ? 


General  Observations ,  &c.  47 1 

In  the  negative.— —Minutes  of  the  Otsego  Association  for  1802. 
Is  it  not  wrong  for  a  man,  who  is  a  member  of  a  church, 
and  the  head  of  a  family,  wholly  to  neglect  family  worship  on  account 
of  the  smallness  of  his  gifts  in  prayer  ? 

Ans.     It  is  wrong. Minutes   of  the  Kehukee  Association  for  1800. 

Quest.  How  should  dancing- schools  and  balls  be  formed  and  con- 
ducted, that  they  may  accord  with  the  Scriptures  of  the  New-Testa- 
ment, and  that  it  may  be  found  consistent  with  Christian  good  order 
to  send  our  children  to  them,  and  encourage  them  ? 

Ans.  As  we  have  nothing  to  do  in  dancing-schools  and  balls,  and 
have  not  made  the  regulation  of  them  the  subject  of  our  studies,  we 
are  unprepared  to  answer  this  query. Minutes  of  the  Charleston  As- 
sociation for  1812. 

This  question  was  probably  intended  to  have  a  bearing  on  such 
church  members  as  send  their  children,  or  at  least  permit  them  to  go, 
to  those  scenes  of  amusement  described.  The  Association  seems  to 
intimate  by  its  answer,  that  the  evil  did  not  exist  among  them  ;  and 
happy  for  all  if  they  could  say  the  same. 

Quest.  How,  and  in  what  manner  ought  heads  of  families  to  deal 
with  their  households  in  regard  to  frolicking  ? 

Ans-  It  is  the  opinion  of  this  Association,  that  such  a  practice  is 
contrary  to  the  oracles  of  God,  and  ought  to  be  restrained  by  family 
government  ;  but  the  different  circumstances  attending  such  practices, 

render  it  difficult  to  be  more  particular. Minutet  of  the  Vermont 

Association  for  1790. 

Quest.  What  is  the  smallest  number  of  members  necessary  for 
forming  a  church  ? 

Ans.  On  this  head  different  sentiments  are  entertained.  Some  have 
supposed  two  or  three  are  sufficient ;  others  have  imagined^;*  ;  some 
ten,  and  others  twelve  ;  because  it  would  seem,  that  the  church  at  Eph- 
esus  was  formed  of  twelve  men,  Acts.  xix.  7.  The  Association  is  of 
opinion,  however,  that  much  depends  on  the  probability  of  the  penont 
living  permanently  together,  who  may  be  about  to  be  constituted.  It 
appears  desirable  that  there  be  in  a  new  settlement  where  removals  are 

frequent,  at  least  seven,  and  that  of  these  two  or  three  be  males. 

Minutes  of  the  Philadelphia  Association  for  1806. 

Quest.  Should  a  brother  be  continued  in  fellowship,  who,  though 
able,  will  not  assist  in  supporting  the  gospel  ? 

Ans.  We  are  of  opinion  where  the  ability  is  obvious  on  the  one  hand, 
and  the  unwillingness  positive  on  the  other,  and  the  brother  cannot  be 

brought  to  his  duty  by  proper  means,  he  ought  to  be  excluded. 

Minutes  of  the  Georgia  Association  for  1808. 

Questions  on  this  subject  have  ofcen  been  proposed  to  different 
Associations  ;  they  all  give  good  answers,  and  yet  covetous  members 
meet  with  no  great  difficulty  in  pursuing  their  parsimonious  habits. 

Quest.  Should  a  minister,  who  has  been  regularly  ordained  as  an 
itinerant  preacher,  be  called  upon  to  take  the  pastoral  care  of  a  partic- 
ular church,  is  there  any  thing  necessary  to  be  done  on  the  occasion, 
more  than  the  consent  of  each  party  ? 

Ans.     Nothing  more  is  necessary. Minutes  of  Kehukee  Association 

in  1799. 

Quest.     Is  it  the  duty  of  a  dissenter  to  acknowledge  the  right  of 


472  General  Observations  y 

civil  government,  dictating  in  matters  of  religion,  so  far  as  to  give  a 
certificate  to  the  ckrk  of  a  Presbyterian  society  what  religion  he  is  of? 

Ant.  We  are  of  opinion,  that  it  is  oppression  for  one  society  to  re- 
quire  certificates  of  another  ;  but  whether  God  requires  us  to  say  as 
Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abfdnego  did  in  another  case  ;  »'  Be  it  known 
to  thee,  O  king,  we  will  not,"  v.  e  leave  for  the  present,  for  individuals 
to  judge  and  determine  for  themselves,  as  they  can  answer  it  to  God. 
— • — Minutes  of  the  D  anbury  Association  for  1 80 1. 

Quest.  Can  a  member  of  a  Baptist  church  with  impunity  avail 
himself  of  the  Latitude  the  law  allows,  by  defending  suits,  filing  bills, 
appeals,  &c.  merely  to  procrastinate  the  payment  of  his  jast  debts  ? 

Ans.  A  member  of  a  Baptist  church  cannot  with  impunity  act  in 
such  a  manner. — Minutes  of  the  Ketorkian  Association  for  1800. 

Quest.  Is  that  passage  of  St.  Paul,  in  1st  Cor.  xiv.  34,  Let  your  nvo- 
men  keep  siLn.cz  in  the  churches,  for  it  is  not  permitted  uniy  them  to  speak ,  to  be 
understood  literally,  or  what  are  we  to  understand  by  it  ? 

Ans.  We  conclude,  that  the  Holy  Spir.t  does  not,  in  this,  or  any 
other  passage  of  Scripture,  prohibit  women  in  the  chinch  to  speak  on 
all  suitable  occasions,  respecting  God's  kind  and  gracious  dealings 
with  their  souls ;  but  forbids  thsm  to  usurp  authority  as  publick 
teachers,  or  to  take  upon  them  in  any  respect  the  government  of  the 
church. Minutes  of  the  Woodstock  Association  for  1799. 

Quest.  Have  we  any  duty  to  do  as  it  respects  members  of  sister 
churches,  who  remove  into  our  vicinity,  and  feel  themselves  at  liberty 
to  live  even  in  the  negelect  of  gospel  ordinances  ? 

Ans.  After  due  labour  with  them,  report  them  to  the  church  from 
which  they  came.— —Minutes  of  tht  Sturbridge  Association  for  1806. 

Quest.  Is  it  gospel  order  for  any  person  to  use  the  office  of  a  Dea- 
con, before  regularly  ordained  ? 

Ans.     In  the  negative. Minutes  of  the  Nevse  Association,  for  1800. 

This  question  has  undergone  frequent  discussions,  and  is  generally 
answered  as  here.  Most  agree  that  Deacons  ought  to  be  ordained, 
yet  the  practice  is  in  a  great  measure  neglected. 

Quest.  Is  a  church  bound  in  duty  to  support  their  own  poor,  or 
depend  on  ihe  provisions  made  in  the  towns  or  districts  to  which  they 
belong  ? 

Ans.  We  view  it  to  be  the  indispensable  duty  of  every  church,  to 
sympathize  with,  and  see  that  their  own  are  provided  for.  But  if  the 
church  is  agreed,  and  should  avail  themselves  of  assistance  from  the 

town  treasury,  we  by  no  means  think  it  a  censurable  evil. Minutes 

efi/x  Shaftsbury  Association  for  1790. 

This  important  question  deserves  an  explicit,  unconditional  answer. 
That  the  poor  of  a  church  ought  to  be  supported  by  it,  is  a  proposi- 
tion which  admits  of  no  dispute.  The  assistance  from  town  treasuries 
is  an  accidental  affair :  if  any  thing  can  be  obtained,  very  well,  but 
let  not  a  church  wait  for  help  from  that  quarter  till  their  poor  mem- 
bers suffer. 

Quest.  Is  the  baptism  of  those  persons  considered  valid,  who  have 
received  it  at  the  hands  of  unbapiized  administrators  ? 

Ans.     No.     Because  three  things  are  requisite  to  make  gospel  bap- 
tism, viz.  a  gospel  madet  a  gospel  subject  and  administrator. — • — 
ofth:  Richmond  Association  fur  1809. 


General  Observations,  &c.  47S 

As  persons  are  frequently  applying  for  admission  into  Baptist 
churches,  who  have  been  immersed  by  Methodist  and  Congregational 
ministers,  this  question  has,  within  a  few  yea*-s  past,  been  often  pro- 
posed, and  most  Associations  have  decided  differently  from  this.  All 
agree  that  it  is  an  unadviseable  measure,  for  a  person  to  apply  to  un- 
baptized  ministers  in  lead  them  into  the  water,  but  after  they  have 
been  properly  immersed  on  a  profession  of  their  faith,  it  is  generally 
thought  that  it  would  be  improper  to  immerse  them  a  second  time.  It 
is  <'ifficult  to  conceive  why  they  would  not,  in  this  case,  come  under 
the  denomination  of  Ann- Baptists. 

Queit.  Has>  a  member  ot  our  Society*  a  right  to  start  to  market, 
or  travel  when  on  the  road,  on  the  Sabbath  day  ? 

Ans .     No. Minutes  of  the  Edgefield  Association  for  \  809. 

*  Church  members  only,  are  here  intended. 


VOL,  2.  6O 


APPENDIX. 

[No.    I.] 
A  MEMORIAL  AND  REMONSTRANCE, 

[Drawn  by  JAM^S  MADISON,  now  President  of  the  U.  S.J 
st  the  General  Assessment,  presented  to  the  General  Assembly  o 


at  the  Session  for  the  year  of  our  Lordy  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and 
eighty-Jive. 

To  THE    HONORABLE   THE   GENERAL  ASSEMBLY  OF  THE  COMMON- 
WEALTH OF  VIRGINIA. 

WE  the  subscribers,  citizens  of  the  said  Commonwealth,  having 
taken  into  serious  consideration  a  bill,  printed  by  order  of  the  last  ses- 
sion of  General  -\ssembly,  entitled,  "  A-  bill  establishing  a  provisioa 
for  teachers  of  the  Christian  Religion  ;"  and  conceiving,  that  the  same, 
if  finally  aimed  with  the  sanction  of  a  law,  will  be  a  dangerous  abuse 
of  power  ;  are  bound,  as  faithful  members  of  a  free  State,  to  remon- 
strate against  it,  and  to  declare  the  reasons  by  which  we  are  determin* 
ed.  We  remonstrate  against  the  said  bill, 

Because  we  hold  it  for  a  fundamental  and  unalienable  truth,  "  that 
religion,  or  the  duty  which  we  owe  to  the  Creator,  and  the  manner  of 
discharging  it,  can  be  directed  only  by  reason  and  conviction,  not  by 
force  or  violence."*  The  religion,  then,  of  every  man,  must  be  left 
to  the  conviction  and  conscience  of  every  man  ;  and  it  is  the  right  of 
every  man  to  exercise  it  as  these  may  dictate.  This  right  is,  in  its  na- 
ture, an  unalienable  right.  It  is  unalienable,  because  the  opinions  of 
men  depending  only  on  the  evidence  contemplated  by  their  own  minds, 
cannot  follow  the  dictates  of  other  men.  It  is  unalienable,  also,  be- 
cause what  is  here  a  right  towards  man,  is  a  duty  towards  the  Creator. 
It  is  the  duty  of  every  man  to  render  to  the  Cieator  such  homage,  and 
such  only,  as  he  believes  to  be  acceptable  to  him.  This  duty  is  prece- 
dent both  in  order  and  time,  and  in  degree  of  obligation,  to  the  claims 
of  civil  society.  Before  any  man  can  be  considered  as  a  member  of 
civil  society,  he  must  be  considered  as  a  subject  of  the  Governor  of 
the  Universe.  And  if  a  member  of  civil  society,  who  enters  into  any 
subordinate  association,  must  always  do  it  with  a  reservation  of  his  du- 
ty to  the  general  authority;  much  more  must  every  man,  who  becomes 
a  member  of  any  particular  civil  society,  do  it  with  a  saving  of  his  al- 
legiance to  the  Universal  Sovereign.  We  maintain,  therefore,  that  in 
matters  of  religion,  no  man's  right  is  abridged  by  the  institution  of  civil 
society  ;  and  that  religion  is  wholly  exempt  from  its  cognizance. 
True  it  is,  that  no  other  rule  exists,  by  which  any  question,  which 
may  divide  society,  can  be  ultimately  determined,  but  by  the  will  of 
a  majority  ;  but  it  is  also  true,  that  the  majority  may  trespass  on  the 
rights  of  the  minority. 

Because  if  religion  be  exempt  from  the  authority  of  the  society  at 
large,  still  less  can  it  be  subject  to  that  of  the  legislative  body.  The 
latter  are  but  the  creatures  and  vicegerents  of  the  former.  Their  ju- 
risdiction is  both  derivative  and  limited.  It  is  limited  with  regard  to 

Declaration  of  Rights,  article  16. 


Appendix*  47£ 

the  co-ordinate  departments ;  more  necessarily,  it  is  limited  with  re- 
gard to  the  constituents.  The  preservation  of  a  free  government  re- 
quires,  not  merely  that  the  metes  and  bounds  which  separate  each  de- 
partment of  power,  be  invariably  maintained  ;  but  more  especially, 
that  neither  of  them  be  suffered  to  overleap  the  great  barrier  which 
defends  the  rights  of  the  people.  1  he  tuiers,  who  are  guilty  of  such 
an  encroachment,  exceed  the  commission  from  which  they  derive 
their  authority,  and  are  tyrants.  The  people  who  submit  to  it,  are 
governed  by  laws  made  neither  by  themselves,  nor  by  an  authority 
derived  from  them,  and  are  slaves. 

Because  it  is  proper  to  take  alarm  at  die  first  experiment  on  our 
liberties.  We  hold  this  prudent  jealousy  to  be  the  first  duty  of  citi- 
zens, and  one  of  the  noblest  characteristicks  of  the  late  revolution. 
The  freemen  of  America  did  not  wait  until  usurped  power  had 
strengthened  itself  by  exercise,  and  entangled  the  question  in  prece- 
dents. They  saw  all  the  consequences  in  the  principle,  and  they  avoid- 
ed the  consequences  by  denying  the  principle.  We  revere  this  lesson 
too  much,  soon  to  forget  it.  Who  does  not  see  that  the  same  authori- 
ty, which  can  establish  Christianity  in  exclusion  of  all  other  religions, 
may  establish,  with  the  same  ease,  any  particular  sect  of  Christians,  in 
exclusion  of  all  other  sects ;  that  the  same  authority,  which  can  force 
a  citizen  to  contribute  three  pence  only  of  his  property,  for  the  support 
«f  any  one  establishment,  may  force  him  to  conform  to  any  other  es- 
tablishment, in  all  cases  whatsoever  ? 

Because  the  bill  violates  that  equality  which  ought  to  be  the  basis 
of  every  law  ;  and  which  is  more  indispensable,  in  proportion  as  the  va- 
lidity or  expediency  of  any  law  is  more  liable  to  be  impeached.  "  If  all 
men  are,  by  nature,  equally  free  and  independent,"*  all  men  are  t<? 
be  considered  as  entering  into  society  on  equal  conditions,  as  relin- 
quishing no  more,  and,  therefore,  retaining  no  less,  one  than  another, 
of  their  natural  rights ;  above  all,  are  they  to  be  considered  as  retain- 
ing an  "  equal  title  to  the  free  exercise  of  religion  according  to  the  dic- 
tates of  conscience.''^  Whilst  we  assert  for  ourselves  a  freedom  to  em- 
brace, to  profess,  and  observe  the  religion  which  we  believe  to  be  of 
divine  origin,  we  cannot  deny  an  equal  freedom  to  those,  whose  mind* 
have  not  yet  yielded  to  the  evidence  which  has  convinced  us.  If  this 
freedom  be  abused,  it  is  an  offence  against  God,  not  against  man.  To 
God,  therefore,  and  not  to  man,  must  an  account  of  it  be  rendered. 

As  the  bill  violates  equality,  by  subjecting  some  to  peculiar  bur- 
dens ;  so  it  violates  the  same  principle,  by  granting  to  others  peculiar 
exemptions.  Are  the  Quakers  and  Menomsts  the  only  sects  who  think 
a  compulbive  support  of  their  religions  unnecessary  and  unwarranta- 
ble ?  Can  their  piety  alone  be  entrusted  with  the  care  of  pubiick  wor- 
ship ?  Ought  their  religions  to  be  endowed,  above  all  others,  with  ex- 
traordinary privileges,  by  which  proselytes  may  be  enticed  from  all 
others  ?  We  think  too  favourably  of  tne  justice  and  good  sense  of  tnese 
denominations,  to  believe,  that  they  either  covet  pre-eminences  over 
their  fellow- citizens,  or  that  they  will  be  seuuced  by  them  from  the 
common  opposition  to  the  measure. 

Because  the  bill  implies,  either  that  the  civil  magistrate  is  a  com- 
petent judge  of  religioub  truths,  or  that  he  may  employ  religion  as  an 

*  Declaration  of  rigiits,  art  1.          j  Ditto,  ait.  16. 


476  Appendix* 

engine  of  civil  policy.  The  first  is  an  arrogant  pretension,  falsified 
by  the  extraordinary  opinion  of  rulers,  in  all  ages,  and  throughout  the 
world  ;  the  second,  an  unhallowed  perversion  of  the  means  of  salva- 
tion. 

Because  the  establishment  proposed  by  the  bill,  is  not  requisite  for 
the  support  of  the  Christian  religion.  To  say  that  it  is,  is  a  contra- 
diction to  the  Christian  religion  itself;  for  every  page  of  it  disa- 
vows a  dependence  on  the  power  of  this  world  :  it  is  a  contradiction  to 
fact,  for  it  is  known  that  this  religion  both  existed  and  flourished,  not 
only  without  the  support  of  human  laws,  but  in  spite  of  every  opposi- 
tion from  them  ;  and  not  only  during  the  period  of  miraculous  aid, 
but  long  after  it  had  been  left  to  its  own  evidence  and  the  ordinary 
care  of  Providence  :  nay,  it  is  a  contradiction  in  terms  ;  for  a  religion 
not  invented  by  human  policy,  must  have  pre-existed  and  been  sup- 
ported, before  it  was  established  by  human  policy  ;  it  is,  moreover,  to 
weaken  in  those,  who  profess  this  religion,  a  pious  confidence  in  its 
innate  excellence,  and  the  patronage  of  its  Author  ;  and  to  foster  in 
those,  who  still  reject  it,  a  suspicion  that  its  friends  are  too  conscious 
of  its  fallacies,  to  trust  it  to  its  own  merits. 

Because  experience  witnesses  that  ecclesiastical  establishments,  in- 
stead of  maintaining  the  purity  and  efficacy  of  religion,  have  had  a 
contrary  operation.  During  almost  fifteen  centuries  has  the  legal  es- 
tablishment of  Christianity  been  on  trial.  What  have  been  its  fruits  ? 
More  or  less  in  all  places,  pride  and  indolence  in  the  clergy  ;  ignorance 
and  servility  in  the  laity ;  in  both,  superstition,  bigotry,  and  persecu- 
tion. Inquire  of  the  teachers  of  Christianity  for  the  ages  in  which  it 
appeared  in  its  greatest  lustre ;  those  of  every  sect  point  to  the  ages 
prior  to  its  incorporation  with  civil  policy.  Propose  a  restoration  of1 
this  primitive  state,  in  which  its  teachers  depended  on  the  voluntary 
rewards  of  their  flocks,  many  of  them  predict  its  downfal.  On  which 
side  ou^ht  their  testimony  to  have  the  greatest  weight,  when  for,  or 
when  against  their  interest  ? 

JbecHUse  the  establishment  in  question  is  not  necessary  for  the  sup- 
pore  of  civil  government.  If  it  be  urged  as  necessary  for  the  support 
of  civil  government,  only  as  it  is  a  means  of  supporting  religion,  and 
it  be  not  necessary  for  the  hitter  purpose,  it  cannot  be  necessary  for 
the  farmer.  If  religion  be  not  within  the  cognizance  of  civil  govern- 
ment, how  can  its  iegul  establishment  be  said  to  be  necessaiy  to  civil 
government  ?  W'hitt  influence,  in  fact,  have  ecclesiastical  establishments 
iu.d  OP  civil  society  I  In  some  instances,  they  have  been  seen  to  erect 
a  spiritual  tyranny  on  the  ruins  of  the  civil  authority  ;  in  more  instan- 
ces, have  they  been  seen  upholding  the  thrones  of  political  tyranny  ; 
in  uo  instance  have  ihey  been  seen  the  guardians  of  the  liberties  of  the 
people.  Rulers  who  wished  to  subvert  the  publick  liberty,  may  have 
found  on  established  clergy  convenient  auxiliaries.  A  just  government 
instituted  to  secure  and  perpetuate  it,  needs  them  not.  Such  a  gov- 
ernment will  be  best  supported  by  protecting  every  citizen  in  the  en- 
loymenL  of  his  I'eligion,  vuth  the  i^ine  equal  hand  which  protects  his 
perse  r  «r  1  ^ropeity  ;  by  neither  invading  the  equal  rights  of  any  sect, 
nor  suffering  any  sect  to  invade  those  of  another. 

Because  the  proposed  establishment  is  a  departure  from  that  gen- 
erous policy,  which,  offering  an  asylum  to  the  persecuted  and  oppress- 
ed of  everj  nation  unc  religion,  promised  a  lustre  to  our  country,  and 


Appendix.  477 

an  accession  to  the  number  of  its  citizens.  What  a  mclanchQly  mark 
is  the  bill,  of  sudden  degeneracy  I  Instead  of  holding  forth  an  asylum 
to  the  persecuted,  it  is  itself  a  signal  of  persecution.  It  degrades  fi  v  m 
the  equal  rank  of  citizens,  all  those  whose  opinions  in  rel'jjir-n  do  not 
bend  to  those  of  the  legislative  authority.  Distant  as  it  may  be,  in 
its  present  form,  from  the  inquisition,  it  diffen  from  it  only  in  decree: 
the  one  is  the  first  step,  the  other  the  last,  in  the  career  of  int 
The  magnanimous  sufferer  under  the  cruel  scourge  ir.  foreign  ie^> 
must  vievr  the  bill  as  a  beacon  on  our  coast,  warning  him  to  «ek  some 
other  haven,  where  liberty  and  philanthropy  in  their  due  extent  may 
offer  a  more  certain  repose  for  his  troubles. 

Because  it  will  have  a  like  tendency  to  banish  our  citizens.     The  al- 
lurements presented  by  other  situations,  are  every  day  thinning  their 
number.     To  superadd  a  fresh  motive  to  emigration,  by  revoking 
liberty  which  they  now  enjoy,  would  be  the  same  species  of  folly, 
which  has  dishonoured  and  depopulated  flourishing  kingdoms. 

Because  it  will  destroy  that  moderation  and  harmony,  which  the 
forbearance  of  our  laws  to  intermeddle  with  religion  has  producc-d 
among  its  several  sects.  Torrents  of  blood  have  been  spilt  in  the  old 
world,  by  vain  attempts  of  the  secular  arm  to  extinguish  religious  dis- 
cord, by  proscribing  all  differences  in  religious  opinion.  .  ,:•>  at 
length  revealed  the  true  remedy.  Every  relaxation  of  narrow  and 
rigorous  policy,  wherever  it  has  been  tried,  has  been  found  to  asi 
the  disease.  The  American  theatre  has  exhibited  proots,  that  eq  ...1 
and  complete  liberty,  if  it  does  not  wholly  eradicue  ic,  sufficiently  ue- 
stroys  its  malignant  influence  on  the  health  and  prosperity  of  the  State. 
If,  with  the  salutary  effects  of  this  system  under  our  o\vn  eyes,  we  be- 
gin to  contract  the  bounds  cf  religious  freedom,  we  know  uo  r 
that  will  too  severely  reproach  our  folly.  At  least,  Jet  warning  ht-  ta- 
ken at  the  first  fruits  of  the  threatened  innovation.  1'he  very  appear- 
ance of  the  bill  has  transformed  that  "  Christian  forbearance,  love,  and 
charity,"*  which  of  late  mutually  prevailed,  into  animosities  ami  jeah 
ousies,  which  may  not  soon  be  appeased.  What  mischiefs  may  not  ;>e 
dreaded,  should  this  enemy  to  the  pubiick  quiet  be  armed  with  the 
force  of  law  ? 

Because  the  policy  of  the  bill  is  adverse  to  tlic  d  Mis  ion  of  the  light 
of  Christianity.  The  in  at  wish  of  those,  who  fu-ht  to  enjoy  this  pre- 
cious gift,  ought  to  be,  that  it  may  be  impart  r  \.iiole  race  of 
mankind.  Compare  the  number  of  those,  who  ;r.we  as  yet  received 
it,  with  the  number  still  remaining  under  tin-  dominion  of  false  relig- 
ions, and  how  small  is  the  former  ?  Docs  the  policy  of  the  hill  tvi.d 
to  lessen  the  disproportion  ?  Iv;  ;  it  at  once  cisf-inrages  those  wlio  aie 
strargers  to  the  lii>ht  of  truth,  from  cominy;  iiit;.>  '.he  lotions  of  it; 
and  countenance:,  r,y  example,  ihe  nations  who  conliiiue  in  darkness, 
in  shutting  out  those  who  mignt  convey  it  tr  them.  Instead  of  level- 
ling, as  far  as  pov.ibl:,  every  obiiacu-  to  tfic  victorious  progress  of 
truth,  the  bill,  with  an  ignoble  and  unciuiiUan  timidity,  would  rircitm- 
tcribe  it,  with  a  wall  <*,\  defence  against  the  encroachments  of  trror. 

Because  an  attempt  to  enforce  by  legal  sanctions,  acts,  obnr.xims  t» 
io  great  a  portion  of  citizens,  tends  to  enei  vate  the  laws  in  ^c 

*  IXdiu-utioa  of  Rights,  ait.  1<5. 


478  Appendix. 

and  to  slacken  the  bands  of  society.  If  it  be  difficult  t«  execute  a»y 
law,  which  is  not  generally  deemed  necessary  nor  salutaiy,  what  must 
be  tii*;  case  when  it  is  deemed  invalid  and  dangeious  ?  And  what 
may  be  the  effect  of  so  striking  an  example  of  impotency  in  the  gov- 
ernment on  its  general  authority  ? 

Because  a  measure  of  such  singular  magnitude  and  delicacy,  ought 
not  to  be  imposed  without  the  clearest  evidence  that  it  is  called  for 
by  a  majority  of  citizens  ;  and  no  satisfactory  method  is  yet  proposed, 
by  which  the  voice  of  the  majority  in  this  case  may  be  determined, 
or  its  influence  secured.  •'  I'he  people  of  the  respective  counties  are, 
indeed,  requested  to  signify  their  opinion,  respecting  the  adoption  of 
the  bill,  to  the  next  session  of  Assembly."  But  the  representation 
must  be  made  equal,  before  the  voice,  either  of  the  representatives  or 
of  the  counties,  will  be  that  of  the  people.  Our  hope  is,  that  neither 
of  the  former  will,  after  due  consideration,  espouse  the  dangerous 
principle  ot  the  bill.  Should  the  event  disappoint  us,  it  will  still  leave 
Us  in  full  confidence,  that  a  fair  appeal  to  the  latter  will  reverse  the 
sentence  against  our  liberties. 

Because,  finally,  "  the  equal  right  of  every  citizen  to  the  free  exer- 
ciie  of  his  tehgion  according  to  the  dictates  of  his  conscience,"  is 
held  by  tne  same  tenure  with  all  our  orher  rights.  Jf  we  recur  to  its 
origin,  it  is>  eqaalsy  the  gift  ot  nature  ;  it  we  weigh  its  importance,  it 
cannot  be  less  dear  to  us  ;  it  we  consult  the  "  Declaration  of  those 
rights  which  pertain  to  the  good  people  of  Virginia,  as  the  basis  and 
foundation  of  government,"  it  is  enumerated  witn  equal  solemnity,  or 
raiher  wifh  studied  empdasis.  Eitrei  then  we  must  say,  that  the  will 
of  the  Legislature  is  the  only  measure  ot  their  autnonty ;  and  that  in 
the  plenitude  of  this  authority,  they  may  sweep  away  all  cur  funda- 
mental rights;  or,  that  they  are  bound  to  leave  this  particular  right 
untouched  and  sacred  :  either  we  must  say,  that  they  may  control  the 
freedom  of  the  press ;  may  abolish  the  trial  by  jury  ;  may  swallow 
up  the  executive  and  judiciary  powers  of  the  State  ;  nay,  that  they 
may  annihilate  our  very  right  of  suffrage,  and  erect  themselves  into 
an  independent  and  hereditary  assembly  ;  or  we  must  say  that  they 
have  no  authority  to  enact  into  a  law,  the  bill  under  consideration. 
We  the  subscribers  say,  that  the  General  Assembly  ot  this  Common- 
wealth have  no  such  authority  ;  and  that  no  effort  may  be  omitted  on 
our  part,  against  so  dangerous  an  usurpation,  we  oppose  to  it  this 
Remonstrance,  earnestly  praying,  as  we  are  in  duty  bound,  that  the  Su- 
preme Lawgiver  ot  ihe  Universe,  by  illuminating  those  to  whom  it  is  ad- 
dressed, may,  on  the  one  hand,  turn  their  councils  from  every  act,  which 
would  affront  his  holy  preiogative,  or  violate  the  trust  committed  to 
them  ;  and,  on  the  other,  guide  them  into  every  measure  which  may 
be  worthy  of  his  blessing,  may  redound  to  their  own  praise,  and  may 
establish  more  firmly  the  liberties,  the  property,  and  the  happiness  of 
this  Commonwealth.* 

*  The  particular  objects  of  the  bill  so  often  mentioned  in  this  Remonstrance, 
and  also  some  observations  on  this  distinguished  instrument,  may  be  seen  in  V  ' 
B.  p.  83,  84. 


Appendix.  479 

[No.    II.] 

THI  prayers  and  wishes  of  the  Virginia  people,  about  the  time  the 
foregoing  remonstrance  WAS  drawn,  were  presented  to  the  Legisla- 
ture in  many  different  forms.  And  among  the  reit,  the  following 
lines,  written  by  Rev.  David  Thomas,  accompanied  the  petition  sent 
by  the  Baptists,  and  wai  addressed  as  follows : 

To  the  Honorable  General  Assembly,  now  sitting  at  Williams Lurght  the  humble 
Petition  of  a  Country  Poet, 

Now  liberty  is  all  the  plan, 
The  chief  pursuit  of  every  man 
Whose  heart  is  right,  and  fills  the  mouth 
Of  patriots  all,  from  north  to  south. 
May  a  poor  b^rd,  from  bushes  sprung, 
Who  yet  has  but  to  rusticks  sung, 
Address  your  honojable  House, 
And  not  your  angry  passions  rouse  ? 
Hark  !   for  a  while,  your  business  stop ; 
One  word  into  your  ears  I'll  drop  : 
No  longer  spend  your  needless  pains, 
To  mend  and  polish  o'er  our  chains } 
But  break  them  off  before  you  rise, 
Nor  disappoint  our  watchful  eyes. 

What  says  great  Washington  and  Lee  ? 
"  Our  country  is,  and  must  be  free." 
What  says  great  Henry,  Pendleton, 
And  Liberty's  minutest  son  ? 
rTis  all  one  voice — they  all  agree 
"  God  made  us,  and  we  must  be,  free." 
Freedom  we  crave,  with  ev'ry  breath, 
An  equal  freedom,  or  a  death. 
The  heav'nly  blessing  freely  give, 
Or  make  an  net  we  shall  not  live. 
Tax  all  things ;    water,  air,  and  light, 
If  need  there  be  ;    yea,  tax  the  night ; 
But  let  our  brave  heroick  minds 
Move  freely  as  celestial  winds. 
Make  vice  and  folly  feel  your  rod, 
But  leave  our  consciences  to  God  : 
Leave  each  man  free  to  choose  his  form 
Of  piety,  nor  at  him  storm. 
And  he  who  minds  the  civil  law, 
And  keeps  it  whole,  without  a  flaw, 
Let  him,  just  as  he  pleat es,  pray, 
And  seek  for  heav'n  in  his  own  way  ; 
And  if  he  miss,  we  all  must  own, 
Ne  man  is  wrong'd  but  he  alone. 


480  Appendix. 

[No.    III.] 

The  Addrest  of  the  Committee  of  the  United  Bapl'nt  ChurcJ.es  in  Virginia, 
assembled  in  the  city  of  Richm'jnd,  August  8,  1789,  to  the  President  of  the 
Ua'i'ed  Sta^i  of  Ameriia. 

SIR, 

AMONG  the  many  shouts  of  congratulation  that  you  receive  from 
cit'es,  societies,  States,  and  the  whole  world,  we  wish  to  take  an  active 
part  in  the  universal  chorus,  in  expressing  our  great  satisfaction  in 
your  appointment  to  the  first  office  in  the  nation.  When  America, 
on  a  former  occasion,  was  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  appealing  to 
arms,  to  defend  her  natural  and  civil  rights,  a  Washington  was  found 
full  adequate  to  the  exigencies  of  the  dangerous  attempt ;  who,  by  the 
philanthropy  of  his  heart,  and  prudence  of  his  head,  led  forth  her  un- 
tutored troops  into  the  field  of  battle  ;  and,  by  the  skilfulness  of  his 
hands,  baffled  the  projects  of  the  insulting  foe,  and  pointed  out  the 
road  to  independence,  even  at  a  time  when  the  energy  of  the  cabinet 
was  not  sufficient  to  bring  into  action  the  natural  aid  of  the  confedera- 
tion, from  its  respective  sources. 

The  grand  object  being  obtained,  the  independence  of  the  States 
acknowledged,  free  from  ambition,  devoid  of  sanguine  thirst  of  blood, 
our  hero  returned  with  those  he  commanded,  and  laid  down  the 
sword  at  the  feet  of  those  who  gave  it  him.  *'  Such  an  example  to 
the  world  ib  new."  Like  other  nations,  we  experience  that  it  requires 
as  great  valour  and  wisdom  to  make  an  advantage  of  the  conquest,  as 
to  gain  one. 

The  want  of  efficacy  in  the  confederation,  the  redundancy  of  laws, 
and  their  partial  administration  in  the  States,  called  aloud  for  a  new 
arrangement  of  our  systems.  The  wisdom  of  the  States,  for  that  pur- 
pose, was  collected  in  a  grand  convention,  over  which  you,  Sir,  had 
the  honour  to  preside.  A  national  government  in  all  its  parts  was 
recommended,  as  the  only  preservative  of  the  union,  which  plan  of 
government  is  now  in  actual  operation. 

When  the  constitution  first  made  its  appearance  in  Virginia,  we,  as 
a  society,  had  unusual  strugglings  of  mind,  fearing  that  the  liberty  of 
conscience  (dearer  to  us  than  property  and  life)  was  not  sufficiently 
secured.  Perhaps  our  jealousies  were  heightened,  on  account  of  the 
usage  we  received  in  Virginia,  under  the  regal  government,  when 
mobs,  bonds,  fine*  and  prisons  were  our  frequent  repast. 

Convinced,  on  the  one  hand,  that  without  an  effective  National 
Government,  the  States  would  fall  into  disunion  and  all  the  consequent 
evils ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  feaiing  we  should  be  accessary  to  some 
religious  oppression,  should  any  one  society  in  the  Union  preponder- 
ate over  all  the  rest.  But  amidst  all  the  inquietudes  of  mind,  our  con- 
solation arose  from  this  consideration — the  plan  must  be  good,  for  it 
bears  the  signature  of  a  tried,  trusty  friend  ;  and  if  religious  liberty 
is  rather  insecure  in  the  Constitution,  "  the  Administration  will  cer- 
tainly prevent  all  oppression,  for  a  Washington  will  preside."  Accord- 
ing to  our  wishes,  the  unanimous  voice  of  the  Union  has  called  you 
Sir,  from  your  beloved  retreat,  to  launch  forth  again  into  the  faith- 
less seas  of  human  affairs,  to  guide  the  helm  of  the  States.  May  that 
Divine  Munificence,  which  covered  your  head  in  battle,  make  you  a 


Appendix.  481 

yet  greater  blessing  to  your  admiring  country,  in  time  of  peace. 
Should  the  horrid  evils  that  have  been  so  pestiferous  in  Asia  and  Eu- 
rope, faction,  ambition,  war,  perfidy,  fraud,  and  persecution  for  con- 
science  sake,  ever  approach  the  borders  of  our  happy  nation  ;  may 
the  name  and  administration  of  our  beloved  President,  like  the  radiant 
source  of  day,  scatter  all  those  dark  clouds  from  the  American  hem- 
isphere. 

And  while  we  speak  freely  the  language  of  our  own  hearts,  we  are 
satisfied  that  we  express  the  sentiments  of  our  brethren,  whom  we  rep- 
resent. The  very  name  ot  Waihington  is  musick  in  our  ears  ;  and  al- 
though the  great  evil  in  the  States,  ib  the  want  of  mutual  confidence 
between  rulers  and  people,  yet,  we  all  have  the  utmost  confidence  in 
the  President  of  the  States  ;  and  it  is  our  fervent  prayer  to  Almighty 
God,  that  the  federal  government,  and  the  governments  of  the  respec- 
tive States,  without  rivalship,  may  so  co-operate  together,  as  to  make 
the  numerous  people,  over  whom  you  preside,  the  happiest  nation  on 
earth ;  and  you,  Sir,  the  happiest  man,  in  seeing  the  people,  who,  by 
the  smiles  of  Providence,  you  saved  from  vassalage  by  your  martial 
valour,  and  made  wise  by  your  maxims,  sitting  securely  under  their 
vines  and  fig-trees,  enjoying  the  perfection  of  human  felicity.  May 
God  long  preserve  your  lite  and  health  for  a  blessing  to  the  world  in 
general,  and  the  United  Stales  in  particular;  and  wnen,  like  the  sun, 
you  have  finished  your  course  of  great  and  unparalleled  services,  and 
you  go  the  way  of  all  the  earth,  may  the  Divine  Being»  who  will  reward 
every  man  according  to  his  works,  grant  unto  you  a  glorious  admis- 
sion into  his  everlasting  kingdom,  through  Jesus  Christ.  This,  Sir, 
is  the  prayer  of  your  happy  admirers. 

By  order  of  the  Committee,       S  \MUEL  HARRIS,  Chairman, 

REUBEN  FORD,  Clerk. 


[No.    IV.] 

To    the  General  Committee,   representing  tie    United   Baptist   Churches  in 

Virginia. 
GENTLEM 

I  REQUEST  that  you  will  accept  my  best  acknowledgments  for 
your  congratulation  on  my  appointment  to  the  first  office  in  the  nation. 
The  kind  manner  in  which  you  mention  my  past  conduct,  equally 
claims  the  expression  of  my  gratitude. 

After  we  had,  by  the  smiles  of  Divine  Providence  on  our  exertions, 
obtained  the  object  foi  which  we  contended,  I  retired,  at  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  war,  with  an  idea  that  my  country  could  have  no  farther 
occasion  for  my  services,  and  with  the  intention  of  never  entering  again 
into  publick  life.  But  when  the  exigencies  of  my  country  seemed  to 
require  me  once  more  to  engage  in  publick  afFiirs,  an  honest  conviction 
of  duty  superseded  my  former  resolution,  and  became  my  apology  for 
deviating  from  the  huppy  plan  which  I  had  adopted. 

If  I  could  have  entertained  the  slightest  apprehension  that  the  consti- 
tution framed  in  the  Convention  where  I  had  the  honour  to  preside, 
might  possibly  endanger  the  religious  rights  of  any  ecclesiastical  socie- 
ty, certainly  I  would  never  have  placed  my  signature  to  it ;    and  if  I 
VOL.  2.  61 


4S&  Appendix. 

could  now  conceive  that  the  general  government  might  ever  be  so  ad- 
ministered as  to  render  the  liberty  of  conscience  insecure,  I  beg  you 
will  be  persuaded,  that  no  one  would  be  more  zealous  than  myself,  to 
establish  effectual  barriers  against  the  horrors  of  spiritual  tyranny,  and 
every  species  of  religious  persecution. 

For  y.>u  doubtless  remember,  I  have  often  expressed  my  sentiments, 
that  every  man,  conducting  himself  as  a  good  citizen,  and  being  ac- 
countable to  God  alone  for  his  religious  opinions,  ought  to  be  protected 
in  worshipping  the  Deity  according  to  the  dictates  of  his  own  conscience. 

While  I  recollect  with  satisfaction  that  the  religious  society  of  which 
you  are  members,  have  been,  throughout  America,  uniformly  and  al- 
most unanimously  the  firm  friends  to  civil  liberty,  and  the  persevering 
promoters  of  our  glorious  revolution  ;  I  cannot  hesitate  to  believe,  that 
they  will  be  the  faithful  supporters  of  a  free,  yet  efficient  general  gov- 
ernment. Under  this  pleasing  expectation,  I  rejoice  to  assure  them, 
that  they  may  rely  upon  my  best  wishes  and  endeavours  to  advance 
their  prosperity. 

In  the  mean  time,  be  assured,  gentlemen,  that  I  entertain  a  proper 
sense  of  your  fervent  supplications  to  God  for  my  temporal  and  eter- 
nal happiness. 

I  am,  gentlemen,  your  most  obedient  servant, 

GEORGE  WASHINGTON. 


[No.    V.] 
MR.  LELAND's  SPEECH, 

Delivered  in  tbs  House  of  Representatives  of  Massachusetts^  on  the  subject 

of  Religious  Freedom,  1 8 1 1 . 
MR.  SPEAKER, 

THE  right  of  private  judgment,  like  sight  and  hearing,  is  inalienable 
in  nature  Should  an  individual  attempt  to  surrender  it  to  society, 
it  nevertheless  would  remain  with  him  still,  in  all  its  vigour.  Whatever 
individuals,  from  the  source  of  private  judgment,  might  be  led  to  say- 
on  the  subject  now  before  the  House,  provided  the  House  was  in  the 
capacity  of  a  convention,  assembled  for  the  purpose  of  framing  a  con- 
stitution, I  cannot  determine  ;  but  at  the  present  time,  the  House  is 
on  legislative  ground,  under  the  solemnity  of  an  oath,  to  legislate  ac- 
cording to  the  meaning  of  the  Constitution,  in  their  best  judgments. 
The  part  of  the  Constitution,  Sir,  which  the  subject  before  the  House 
has  particular  bearings  upon,  is  contained  in  the  2d  and  3d  articles  of 
the  Declaration  of  Rights,  tt  is  well  known,  Mr.  Speaker,  that  the 
inhabitants  of  this  Commonwealth  were,  when  the  Constitution  was 
framed,  as  well  as  at  the  present  time,  divided  in  sentiment  about  re- 
ligion and  the  mode  of  its  support.  From  the  face  of  the  Constitution, 
as  well  as  from  a  knowledge  of  those  times,  there  exists  no  doubt,  that 
a  decided  majority  believed  that  religious  duties  ought  to  be  inter- 
woven in  the  civil  compact — that  Protestant  Christianity  was  the  best 
religion  in  die  world — and  that  all  the  inhabitants  ought  to  be  forced, 
by  law,  to  support  it  with  their  money,  as  a  necessary  institute,  for 
the  good  of  the  body  politick,  unless  they  did  it  voluntarily.  While 
a  respectable  minority,  equally  firm  in  the  belief  of  the  divinity  of 


Christianity,  and  still  more  protestant  in  their  views  ;  conceiving  of  it 
to  he  a  measure  as  presumptuous  in  a  legislature  as  in  a  Pope,  to  lord 
it  over  consciences,  or  interfere  either  in  the  mode  or  support  of  Chris- 
tianity.   This  minority,  Mr.  Speaker  did  then,  and  do,  still  believe  that 
religion  is  a  matter  between  individuals  and  their  God — a  rijjht  inali- 
enable— an  article  not  within  the  cognizance  of  civil  government,  nor 
any  wayi>  under  its   control.     In  this  discordance  of  religious  senti- 
ments, the  2d  and  jd  articles  of  the  Declaration  of  Rights,  are  evident- 
ly a  com promibe  of  parties,  in  which  mutual  concessions  are  made  for 
a  general  union.     The  language  of  the  Convention,  in  the  Constitution 
appears  to  be  as  follows  :    '  Let  those  towns,  parishes,  precincts,  and 
other  religious  societies,  possessed  of  corporate  powers,  support  their 
religion  by  force  of  law ;  but  if  there  be  any  one  residing  within  the 
limits  of  those  corporate  bodies,  who  attends  other  worship,  and  yet 
has  no  scruples  of  conscience  in  being  legally  taxed,  his  money  when 
paid,  if  he  requests  it,  shall  be  paid  over,  by  the  collector,  to  the  minis- 
ter of  his  choice.     And  whereas  there  are  many  religious  societies, 
who  have  scruples  of  conscience  about  availing  themselves  of  corpo- 
rate powers ;  if  such  societies  voluntarily,  in  their  own  mode,  make 
suitable    provision  for  the  maintenance  of  their  ministers,    all  such 
societies  of  Protestant  Christians,  properly  demeaning  themselves  as 
peaceable  citizens,  shall  not  be  forced  by  law  to  support  the  teachers 
or  worship  of  any  other  society.     But  as  we  cannot  well  know  how 
ihese  principles  will  operate  on  experiment,  we  lay  down  one  funda- 
mental maxim  as  a  pole-star,  for  the  legislature  : — No  subordination  of 
•ne  religious  sect  to  another  shall  ever  be  established  by  law.'     Taking  this, 
Sir,  to  be  a  good  translation  of  those  two  articles,  which  seem  to  be 
somewhat  obscure,  the  question  is,  whether  the  laws,  made  since  the 
adoption  of  the  Constitution,  or  more  particularly  whether  the  inter- 
pretation of  that  part  of  the  Constitution  and  laws,  have  not  affected 
a  subordination  of  one  religious  sect  to  another  ?    The  Congregational- 
ists,  Sir,  have  no  scruples  about  supporting  their  worship,  in  its  various 
parts,  by  law  ;  but  some  other  societies  have  :  some  indeed  have  availed 
themselvts  of  corporate  powers,  for  no  other  purpose  but  to  defend 
themselves  from  being  taxed  to  support  a  worship  in  which  they  had 
no  faith.     In  such  instances  they  have  been  subordinate  in  time  and 
•expense,  to  extricate  themselves  from  the  clutches  of  the  Congregation- 
alists.     Others  are  so  well  convinced  ot  the  all-bufficiency  of  Protest- 
ant Christianity,  and    the  completeness  of  its  code  to  govern  in  all 
things,  that  they  will  not — they  cannot  in  good  conscience,  submit  to 
a  power,  which  they  believe,  in  their  best  judgments,  was  never  given 
to  government  to  be  exercised.    These  are  peaceable  subjects  of  State — 
ready  to  arm  in  defence  of  their  country— freely  contribute  to  support 
Protestant  Christianity  ;  but  cannot  pay  a  legal  tax  for  religious  services. 
This  Sir,  is  one  of  the  essentials  which  constitutes  them  a  distinct  sect : 
and  what  have  these  endured  since  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution  ? — 
Have  they  not  been  reduced  to  subordination  ?   How  many  law-suiti — 
"how  much  cost — and  how  much  property  has  been  taken  from  them  to 
support  other  societies  ? — Mr.  Speaker,  is  not  this  subordination  ? 

According  to  a  late  decision  of  the  Bench,  in  the  county  of  Cum- 
berland, which,  it  is  presumed,  is  to  be  a  precedent  for  future  decisions, 
'3,ese  noa-incorporated  societies  are  nobody — can  do  nothing,  and  afre 


484  Appendix. 

never  to  be  known,  except  in  shearing  time,  when  their  money  is  vant- 
ed  to  support  the  teachers  that  they  never  hear.  And  all  this  must  be 
done  for  the  good  of  the  State.  One  hundred  and  seventeen  years  ago, 
wearing  long  hair  »  as  considered  the  crying  sin  of  the  land  :  a  con- 
vention was  called,  March  1 8,  1 694,  in  Boston,  to  prevent  it  :  after  a 
long  expostulation,  the  convention  close  thus,  '  if  any  man  will  now 
presume  to  wear  long  hair,  let  him  know  that  God  and  man  witness 
against  him.'  Our  pious  ancestors  were  for  bobbing  the  hair,  fur  the 
good  of  the  Colony  ;  but  now  Sir,  not  the  hair,  but  the  purses  must  be 
bobbed  for  the  good  of  the  State.  If  these  bobbing  decisions  continue 
to  be  the  order  of  the  day,  it  is  past  calculation  to  say,  whose  heads 
will  be  first  bobbed  off,  for  the  gotd  of  the  State.  The  petitioners  pray 
for  the  right  of  going  to  heaven  in  that  way  which  they  believe  is  the 
most  direct  ;  and  shall  this  be  denied  them  ?  Must  they  be  obliged  to 
pay  legal  toll  for  walking  the  king's  high- way,  which  he  has  made  free 
for  all  ?  Is  not  this  a  greater  subordination  than  to  sail  under  British 
licences?  or  to  pay  3  pence  on  every  pound  of  tea?  In  Rhode-Island, 
New-York,  New-Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  and  Delaware,  of  the  old  Colo- 
nies, and  in  Kentucky,  Tennessee  and  Ohio,  the  new  States,  there  has 
never  been  any  legal  establishment  of  religion,  nor  any  assessment  to 
support  Protestant  Christianity,  for  the  good  of  the  States  ;  and  yet,  Sir, 
these  States  have  srood  and  flourished  as  well  as  Massachusetts.  Since 
the  revolution,  all  the  old  States,  except  two  or  three  in  New-England, 
have  established  religious  liberty  upon  its  true  bottom  ;  and  yet  they 
are  not  sunk  with  earthquakes,  or  destroyed  with  fire  and  brimstone. 
Should  this  Commonwealth,  Mr.  Speaker,  proceed  so  far  as  to  distrib- 
ute all  settlements  and  meeting-houses  which  they  procured  by  pub- 
lick  taxes,  among  ail  the  inhabitants,  without  regard  to  denomination  ; 
it  is  probable  that  the  outcry  of  sacrilege,  profanity  and  infidelity 
would  be  echoed  around  ;  and  yet,  Sir,  all  this  has  been  done,  in  a 
State  which  has  given  birth  and  education  to  a  Henry,  a  Washington,  a 
Jefferson,  'and  a  Madison  ;  each  of  which  contributed  their  aid,  to  ef- 
fect the  grand  event,  for  which  event  the  Presbyterians  and  others 
prayed  and  gained.  It  is  there  believed,  Sir,  that  God  hates  robbery  for 
burnt- offerings  ;  and  ought  not  Massachusetts  to  pay  a  decent  respect 
to  the  voice  of  fifteen  of  her  sister  States  ?  We  should  imagine  that 
laudable  pride  would  prevent  any  one  religious  society  from  forcing 
another  to  pay  her  labourers  ;  and  that  the  same  principle  would  not 
admit  a  publick  teacher  to  take  money  collected  by  distraint,  from 
those  who  did  not  hear  him  ;  but  in  this  particular,  we  find  that  reli- 
gion is  made  a  covert  to  do  that  which  common  honesty  blushes  at. 

Sir,  it  is  not  our  wish  to  disrobe  towns,  parishes,  precincts  or  any 
religious  society  of  their  corporate  powers  :  nc — let  them  go  to 
heaven  in  such  turnpike-roads,  and  pay  legal  toll  at  every  ministerial 
gate,  which  they  choose  ;  and  what  can  they  wish  for  more  ?  Accord- 
ing to  our  L  '.-icnts,  we  cannot  pay  legal  taxes  for  religious  ser- 
vices ;  descending  even  to  the  grade  of  a  chaplain  for  the  legislature. 
It  is  disrouing  Chmti,  :vty  of  her  virgin  beauty — turning  the  churches 
of  Christ  into  creatures  of  State — and  metamorphosing  gospel  ambas- 
sadors to  state  pensioners.  If  my  information  be  correct,  the  town  of 
Boiton  has  enjoyed  the  liberty  which  we  plead  for,  more  than  one  hun- 
dred years  j  yet  the  inhabitants  increase  and  are  virtuous. — Fifteen 


Appendix-  485 

States  now  in  the  union,  have  all  that  we  ask  for ;  and  is  relic  ion  de- 
molished in  those  States  ?  Mr.  Speaker,  let  gentlemen  turn  their  eyes 
to  the  religious  Magazines,  published  in  this  State,  by  those  who  plead 
for  law-regulated  religion  ;  and  they  will  find,  that  while  the  editors,  in 
one  page,  plead  lor  the  old  firm  of  Moses  and  Aaron — ruler  and 
priest ;  where  the  language  is,  '  You  comb  my  head,  and  I'll  scratch 
your  elbows — you  make  laws  to  support  me,  and  I'll  persuade  the 
people  to  obey  you;' — In  the  next  page,  they  will  narrate  the  wonder- 
ful works  of  God  in  those  States  wherein  there  are  no  religious  laws  ; 
and  indeed  wherein  the  inhabitants  know  that  religious  establishments 
and  assessments  serve  only  to  make  one  part  of  the  community  fools, 
and  the  other  hypocrites — to  support  fraud,  superstition  and  violence 
in  the  earth. 

Let  Christianity  stand  upon  its  own  basis,  it  is  the  greatest  blessing 
that  ever  was  among  men  ;  but  incorporate  it  into  the  civil  code,  and 
it  becomes  the  mother  of  cruelties. 

It  is  questioned,  Mr.  Speaker,  by  good  judges,  whether  it  is  possible 
for  the  legislature  to  execute  the  power  vested  in  them,  in  the  jd  ar- 
ticle of  the  Declaration  of  Rights,  without  defeating  the  provision  in 
the  same  article,  'that  no  subordination  of  any  one  sect  or  denomina- 
tion to  another,  shall  ever  be  established  by  law.'  I  know  not,  Sir, 
what  can  be  done  ;  but  one  thing  is  certain,  it  never  has  been  done 
since  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution.  Supposing,  Sir,  it  cannot  be 
done,  to  which  part  of  it  ought  the  legislature  to  adhere  ?  to  that 
which  supports  partiality  and  injustice,  or  to  that  which  secures  right 
and  equality  ?  Can  any  gentleman  be  at  a  loss  ? 

Tyranny,  Mr.  Speaker,  always  speaks  the  same  language.  The 
tyrant  of  Amon  would  be  friendly  to  Israel,  if  he  might  put  out  their 
right  eyes. — The  tyrant  on  the  Nile  would  let  his  subjects  go  free,  pro- 
vided they  would  leave  their  flocks  arid  herds  behind. 

Mr.  Chairman,  if  Christianity  it  false,  it  cannot  be  the  duty  of  gov- 
ernment to  support  imposture  ;  but  if  it  be  true,  the  following  extracts 
are  true,  '  The  natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of  God,  neither 
tan  he  know  them — the  world  by  wisdom  knew  not  God — none  of  the 
princes  of  this  world  know  the  genius  of  Christ's  kingdom.'  If,  Sir, 
Christianity  is  true,  these  sayings  are  true  ;  and  if  these  sayings  are 
true,  natural  men,  a?  such,  with  all  the  proficiency  of  science,  cannrt 
understand  the  religion  of  Christ ;  and  if  they  cannot  understand  the 
subject,  they  must  be  very  unfit  to  legislate  about  it.  If,  to  escape 
this  dilemma,  we  adopt  the  papal  maxim,  that  government  is  foundtd  in 
grace,  and  therefore  none  but  gracious  men  have  right  to  rule  ;  and 
that  these  gracious  rulers  have  both  right  and  knowledge  to  legislate 
about  religion,  we  shall  find,  what  other  nations  have  found  ;  that 
these  divine  rulers  will  be  the  most  cruel  tyrant?.  Under  this  notion, 
Mr.  Chairman,  the  crusades  were  formed  in  the  Xlth  centuiy,  which 
lasted  about  two  hundred  years,  and  destroyed  neaily  two  millions  of 
lives.  In  view  of  all  this,  and  ten  thousand  times  as  much,  is  it  to  be 
wondered  at,  that  the  present  petitioners  should  be  fearful  of  attaching 
corporate  powers  to  religious  societies  ?  These  petitioners,  Sir,  pay  the 
civil  list,  and  arm  to  defend  their  country  as  readily  as  ethers,  and 
only  ask  for  the  liberty  of  forming  their  societies  and  paying  their 
preachers  in  the  or.ly  way  that  the  Christians  did  for  the  tirit  three 


Appendix. 

•centuries  after  Christ.  Any  gentleman  upon  this  floor  is  invited  t« 
produce  an  inktance,  that  Christian  societies  were  ever  formed  —  Chris- 
tian sabbaths  ever  enjoined  —  Christian  salaries  ever  levied,  or  Christian 
worship  ever  enforced  by  law,  before  the  reign  of  Constantine  ;  yet 
Christianity  did  stand  and  flourish,  not  only  without  the  aid  of  law 
and  the  schools,  but  in  opposition  to  both.  We  therefore  hope,  Mr. 
Speaker,  that  the  prayer  of  Thirty  Thousand,  on  this  occasion,  will  be 
heard,  and  that  they  will  obtain  the  exemption  for  which  they  pray. 

The  2d  section  of  the  Bill  before  the  house,  I  object  to.  It  recog- 
nizes principles  which  are  inadmissible  —  invests  all  non-corporate  soci- 
eties with  corporate  powers  —  puts  the  mischievous  dagger  into  their 
hands,  which  has  done  so  much  mischief  in  the  world,  and  presents 
nj  balm  for  the  wounds  of  those  who  cry  for  help.* 

The  petitioners  uo  not  ask  to  be  known  in  law  as  corporate  bodies^ 
but  to  be  so  covered  that  religious  corporate  bodies  shall  not  knovr 
and  fleece  them  :  but  this  section  puts  the  knife  into  their  hands  against 
their  will  ;  a  knife,  Sir,  whkrh  is  more  pestiferous  than  Pandora's  box. 
The  interference  of  legislatures  and  magistrates  in  the  faith,  worship, 
or  support  of  religious  worship,  is  the  first  step  in  the  caie  which  leads 
in  regular  progression  to  Inquisition  :  the  principle  is  the  same,  the 
only  difference  is  iu  the  degree  of  usurpation. 

The  Bill  has  its  beauties,  and  its  deformities.  One  prominent  defect 
of  the  bill  is  a  croaked  back  ;  it  makes  a  low  stoop  to  his  high  migh- 
tiness Town-Clerk,  to  pra\  for  the  indulgence  of  worshipping  God  ; 
which  is,  and  ought  to  be  guaranteed  a  natural  and  inalienable  right, 
not  a  favour  to  be  a.vked  by  the  citizen  or  bestowed  by  the  ruler.  It 
has  also  a  disagreeable  •quinting;  it  squints  to  a  purse  of  money  with 
as  much  intenseness  as  ever  a  drunkard  did  at  the  bottle,  or  as  ever 
did  at  the  apple.  Yes,  Mr.  Speaker,  if  there  was  no  money  to  be 


got,  we  should  never  bear  of  these  incorporations.  How  strange  it  is, 
Sir,  that  men,  who  make  such  noise  about  Cnristianity,  should  be  afraid 
to  trust  the  pn/mise  of  God,  unless  they  can  have  legal  bondsmen, 
b  »und  by  incorporation. 

Government  should  be  50  fixed,  that  Pagans,  Turks,  Jews  and  Chris- 
tians should  be  equally  protected  in  their  rights.  The  government  of 
Massachusetts  is,  however,  differently  formed  ;  under  the  existing  Con- 
stitution, it  is  not  possible  for  the  General  Ccurt  to  place  religion  up- 
on its  proper  footing  :  it  can  be  done,  houever,  much  better  than  it  is 
done,  either  by  the  late  decision  of  the  Bench,  or  by  the  adoption  of 
the  present  Bill,  in  its  present  shape;  and  the  best  which  the  constitu- 
tion will  admit  of,  is  all  that  we  ask  for  at  present.  I  shall  therefore 
take  the  liberty,  at  a  proper  time,  to  offer  an  amendment  to  the  BilJL 

I  shall  no  longer  trespass  on  the  patience  of  the  house. 


tNo.    VI  ] 
Additional  Remarks  on  the  Character  of  Roger  Williams. 

TOWARDS  the  close  of  the  history  of  Rhode- Island,  we  proposed  to 
give,  in  the  Appendix,  a  letter  written  by  this  distinguished  man.     It 

*  The  objectionable  part  of  this  Bifl  was  sftwwards  struck-  cart: 


Appendix*  457 

h  preceded  by  seme  very  judicious  remarks  by  Governor  Hopkins, 
which  are  worthy  of  being  recorded. 

"  All  Christians,"  says  the  Governor,  "  from  the  beginning  of  the 
Reformation  to  these  times,  when  they  were  disturbed  and  oppressed 
by  the  governing  powers  they  lived  under,  on  account  of  their  relig- 
ious principles  or  practices,  had  claimed  this  natural  right,  a  liberty  of 
tonscience  in  the  worship  of  God*  And  many  of  them  had,  with  much 
learning  -and  great  strength  of  reason,  shewn,  that  it  was  a  right  they 
were  naurally  and  justly  entitled  to;  and  of  which  the  civil  magis- 
trate could  not  deprive  them,  without  departing  from  his  proper  duty 
and  office.  But  all  of  them,  when  they  came  to  be  possessed  of  power, 
had  denied  that  indulgence  to  those,  who  differed  from  them  in  reli- 
gious sentiments,  that  they  had  pleaded  so  powerfully  for,  when  they 
suffered  themselves  j  and  this  had  constantly  and  universally  been  the 
ca:>e  throughout  Christendom  for  many  hundred  years.  And  Roger 
Williams  justly  claims  the  honour  of  having  been  the  first  legislator 
in  the  world,  in  i'.s  latter  ages,  that  fully  and  effectually  provided  for 
and  established  a  free,  full,  and  abbolute  liberty  ot  conscience.  This 
beneficent  principle  he  made  the  foundation,  and,  as  it  were,  the  chief 
corner-stone  of  his  infant  colony  ;  this  was  made  the  test  of  admission 
to  all  new-comers  :  this  was  the  chief  cause  that  united  the  inhabit- 
ants of  Rhode-Island  and  those  of  Providence,  and  made  them  one 
people  arid  one  colony.  It  was  often  objected  to  Mr.  Williams,  that 
such  great  liberty  in  religious  matters  tended  to  licentiousness  and 
every  kind  of  disorder.  To  such  objections  I  will  give  the  answer  he 
himself  ma.le,  in  his  own  words  ;  for  thereby  his  real  sentiments  may 
be  best  discovered." 

"  To  the  town  of  Providence. 

"LOVING  FRIENDS  AND  NEIGHBOURS} 

"  IT  pleaseth  God  yet  to  continue  this  great  liberty  of  our  town- 
meetintrs,  for  which  we  ought  to  be  humbly  thankful,  and  to  improve 
these  liberties  to  die  praise  of  the  Giver,  and  to  the  peace  and  welfare 
of  the  town  and  colony,  without  our  own  private  ends.  I  thought  it 
my  duty  to  present  you  this  my  impartial  testimony,  and  answer  to  a 
paper  sent  you  the  other  day  from  my  brother,  "  That  it  is  blood'guilti- 
nest,  and  against  the  rule  of  the  Gospel,  to  execute  judgment  upon  transgres- 
sors, against  the  publick  or  private  weal."  That  ever  I  should  speak  or 
write  a  tittle,  that  tends  to  such  an  infinite  liberty  of  conscience,  is  a 
mistake,  and  which  1  have  ever  disclaimed  and  abhorred.  To  prevent 
such  mistakes,  I  at  present  shall  only  propose  this  case  : — There  goes 
many  a  ship  to  sea,  with  many  a  hundred  souls  in  one  ship,  whose 
weal  and  wo  is  common,  and  is  a  true  picture  of  a  commonwealth, 
or  an  human  combination,  or  society.  It  hath  fallen  out  sometimes, 
that  both  Papists  and  Protestants,  Jews  and  Turks,  may  be  embarked 
into  one  ship.  Upon  which  s>upposal,  I  do  affirm,  that  all  the  liberty 
of  conscience  that  ever  I  pleaded  for,  turns  upon  these  two  binges, 
that  none  of  the  Papists,  Protestants,  Jews,  or  Turks,  be  forced  to 
cpme  to  the  ship's  prayers  or  worship  ;  nor,  secondly,  compelled  from 
their  own  particular  prayers  or  worship,  if  they  practise  any.  I 
further  add,  that  I  never  denied,  that  notwithstanding  this  liberty, 
tke  commander  of  this  ship  ought  to  command  the  ship's  course ;  yea, 


488  Appendix. 

and  also  to  command  that  justice,  peace  and  sobriety  be  kept  and 
practised,  both  among  the  seamen  and  all  the  passengers.  If  any  sea- 
man refuse  to  perform  their  service,  or  passengers  to  pay  their  freight ; 
if  any  refuse  to  help  in  person  or  purse,  towards  the  common  charges, 
or  defence  ;  if  any  refuse  to  obey  the  common  laws  and  orders  of  the 
ship,  concerning  their  common  peace  and  preservation ;  if  any  shall 
mutiny  and  rise  up  against  their  commanders  and  officers  ;  if  any 
shall  preach  or  write,  that  there  ought  to  he  no  commanders  nor  offi- 
cers, because  all  are  equal  in  Christ,  therefore  no  masters  nor  officers, 
so  laws  nor  orders,  no  corrections  nor  punishment — I  say,  I  never  de- 
nioi  but  in  such  cases,  whatever  is  pretended,  the  commander  or  com- 
manders may  judge,  resist,  compel  and  punish  such  transgressors,  ac- 
cording to  their  deserts  and  merits.  This,  if  seriously  and  honestly 
minded,  may,  if  it  so  please  the  Father  of  Lights,  let  in  some  light  to 
such  as  willingly  shat  not  their  eyes.  I  remain,  ttudious  of  our  com- 
mon peace  and  liberty,  ROGER  WILLIAMS." 

"  This  religious  liberty  was  not  only  asserted  in  words,  but  uni- 
formly adhered  to  and  practised,"  £c. 

It  would  be  no  strange  event  for  a  new  State  now  to  establish  reli- 
gious freedom,  because  many  have  set  the  example  ;  but  Roger  Wil- 
liams and  the  Rhode  Island  Fathers  claim  the  honour  of  maintaining 
this  principle,  while  all  other  States  and  kingdoms  in  the  world  ridicul- 
ed and  opposed  it. 

In  the  account  of  Mr.  Williams's  settlement  in  Rhode-Island,  we 
made  some  observations  on  the  uncommon  influence  he  acquired  over 
the  irritated  and  ever  jealous  Indian  tribes.  We  shall  here  give  a  con- 
nected view  of  the  services  which  this  influence  enabled  him  to  per- 
form. His  breaking  up  of  their  grand  confederacy  in  1637,  has  al- 
ready been  mentioned.  Yet  notwithstanding  this  interposition  on  the 
behalf  of  all  his  English  neighbours,  when  he  was  about  to  embark 
for  England  in  1643  to  obtain  a  charter  for  his  colony,  he  was  not 
permitted  to  pass  through  the  coasts  from  which  he  had  been  banished, 
but  was  obliged  to  repair  to  the  Dutch  at  New- York  to  take  shipping. 
*'  Yea,  it  must  needs  be  so,"  says  Mr.  Backus,  "  because  the  blessings 
of  a  peace-maker  were  to  come  upon  him,  among  the  Dutch  as  well 
as  the  English."  At  this  time  the  Dutch  at  Aurana,  (now  Albany) 
and  its  vicinity,  at  Manhattan,  (now  New- York)  and  in  many  other 
places,  both  on  the  main  land  and  Long-Island,  were  engaged  in  a 
bloody  conflict  with  different  Indian  tribes.  At  Stamford,  (now  ia 
Connecticut)  the  enraged  savages  killed  many,  and  among  the  rest 
Mrs.  Ann  Hutchimon,  who  had  been  banished  from  Massachusetts, 
for  what  was  called  Antinomianism.  "  On  Long-Island  they  assaulted 
the  house  of  the  lady  Moody,  who  not  Ion?  betore  moved  from  Lynn 
in  the  same  government,  on  account  of  Ana-baptism  :  but  she  was  de- 
fended by  forty  men,  th.it  gathered  to  her  house,  which  they  assaulted 
divers  times.  But  the  Long-island  Indians,  by  the  mediation  of  Mr. 
Williams,  (who  was  then  there  to  take  ship  for  England)  were  paci- 
fied, and  peace  re-established  between  the  Dutch  and  them."* 

In  1671,  when  king  Philip  was  making  preparations  for  his  v/ar, 
Governor  Prince  of  Plymouth,  and  two  of  his  assistants,  met  three 

*  Backus,  vcL  i.  p.  147—8. 


Appendix*  489 

gentlemen  from  the  Massachusetts  colony  at  Taunton,  to  examine  into 
the  matter.  Philip,  Indian  like,  was  suspicious  of  the  manoeuvres  of 
white  men  ;  he  kept  in  his  camp  at  a  distance,  and  sent  for  the  com- 
missioners to  come  to  him.  All  solicitations  were  ineffectual,  until 
Mr.  Williams,  then  over  70,  and  Mr.  Brown,  supposed  to  be  of  Swan- 
sea, offered  to  remain  as  hostages  in  his  camp  ;  by  which  means  he 
was  prevailed  with  to  meet  the  commissioners,  to  deliver  up  about  70 
guns,  and  to  promise  future  fidelity  j  which  suspended  the  war  four 
years."* 

In  1676,  while  this  bloody  war  was  going  on,  tradition  says,  that 
when  the  Indians  appeared  on  the  hill  north  of  Providence,  near  the 
place  where  Col.  Smith's  house  now  stands,  Mr.  Williams  took  his 
itaff,  and  went  over  to  meet  them,  hoping  to  pacify  their  rage,  as  he 
had  often  done  before ;  but  when  some  of  the  old  men  saw  him,  they 
came  out  to  meet  him—told  him  that  those  who  had  long  known  him 
would  not  hurt  him,  but  that  the  young  warriors  could  not  be  restrain- 
ed ;  upon  which  he  returned  to  the  garrison. 

"  As  the  best  and  most  useful  men,"  says  Governor  Hopkins,  "  have 
ever,  in  all  free  States,  been  the  subjects  of  popular  clamour  and  censure, 
so  we  find  that  Mr.  Williams  did  not  escape  the  rude  attacks  of  the 
licentious  tongue  of  freedom,"  &c.  By  some  he  was  accused  of  a  big- 
oted attachment  to  his  peculiar  opinions  ;  by  others  he  was  compared 
to  a  weathercock  for  instability.  From  the  accusations  of  enemies,  a 
true  character  cannot  be  obtained  of  him^  nor  of  any  other  man. 
His  friends  uniformly  maintain,  that  he  lived  and  died  a  pattern  of  pi- 
ety and  benevolence.  It  is  certain,  however,  from  his  own  writings, 
that  he  was  one  of  the  few  Baptists,  whose  minds  have  been  bewildered 
about  the  doctrine  of  succession  ;  and  it  was  pi'obably  on  that  account 
he  ceased  travelling  in  the  Baptist  communion  not  long  after  he  found- 
ed the  church  at  Providence.  But  there  is  no  evidence  that  he  re- 
nounced the  peculiar  tenets  of  the  Baptists  ;  and  it  is  certain  he  did  not 
embrace  those  of  any  other  sect.  He  had  a  long  and  sharp  dispute 
with  the  Quakers,  for  which  some  of  them  feel  not  very  well  disposed 
towards  him  at  this  day.  But  it  ought  to  be  observed,  at  the  same 
time,  that  Governor  Hopkins,  of  that  persuasion,  has  done  ample  jus- 
tice to  his  character. 

Although  Mr.  Williams  was  almost  constantly  engaged  in  the 
affairs  of  the  colony,  at  home  and  abroad,  yet  we  are  assured  that 
he  preached  frequently  at  Providence,  and  used  to  go  once  a  month  to 
Mr.  Smith's  in  the  Narraganset  country,  where  many  of  those  Narra- 
ganset  Indians  attended  his  ministry,  who  could  not  be  prevailed  on 
to  hear  the  missionaries  from  other  colonies,  f 

"  Roger  Williams,"  says  Morgan  Edwards,  "  for  his  singular  ex- 
cellencies and  worthy  deeds,  deserves  a  statue,  and  will  certainly  have 
one,  except  there  be  some  cross-grained  fatality  attending  the  noblest 
characters  among  Baptists,  to  prevent  their  having  the  praise  they  de- 
serve. I  could  fancy,"  says  this  ingenious  writer,  "  that  I  see  his 
statue  erected  in  the  college  yard  at  Providence.  His  clothing  a  gar- 
ment of  camel's  hair,  tied  about  his  loins  with  a  leathern  girdle.  His 

*  Backus,  vol.  i.  p.  418. 
f  Governour  Hopkins.    Callender. 
VOL.  2.  «2 


490  Appendix. 

feet  are  shod  with  sandals  ;  and  about  his  neck  a  little  puritanical  ban d. 
In  his  right  hand  is  the  gospel,  as  an  emblem  of  the  religious  liberty 
he  established,  and  the  peace  that  followed.  In  his  left,  is  a  roll  con- 
taining the  charter  of  the  colony,  with  as  much  of  it  unfolded  as  shows 
this  paragraph  :  "  To  exhibit  a  lively  experiment,  that  a  most  flour- 
ishing civil  State  may  stand  and  best  be  maintained,  and  that  aaiong 
our  English  subjects,  with  a  full  liberty  in  religious  concernments  ;  and 
that  true  piety,  rightly  grounded  on  gosptl  principles,  will  give  the 
best  and  greatest  security  to  sovereignty,  and  will  lay,  in  the  hearts  of 
men,  the  strongest  obligations  to  true  loyalty."  On  the  pedestal  are 
these  words  : 

FATHER 

OF    THIS    COLONY,    WHICH     WAS     FOUNDED     IN    1636, 
AND    WHOSE     SPECIAL    DISTINCTION     IS    THAT    OF 

RELIGIOUS  LIBERTY ; 

AND,    UNDER    GOD,    THE    SAVIOUR 

OF      IT,     AND      OF      THE      NEIGHBOURING      COLONIES,     FROM 

BEING    EXTIRPATED    BY    THE    CONFEDERATE    INDIANS, 

IN    1637,    WAS    THAT     REVEREND    BAPTIST 

ROGER  WILLIAMSr 

It  may  be  proper  here  to  give  a  brief  account  of  another  of  the 
fathers  of  the  Rhode-Island  colony,  of  whom  nothing  yet  has  been 
said.  This  was  William  Blaxton,  or  Blackstone.  He  was  a  minister 
in  the  Church  of  England,  but  came  early  to  America.  It  appears  by 
Johnson's  history,  that  he  was  here  in  1628  ;  but  not  agreeing  with 
Mr.  Endicot  and  others  in  church  affairs,  he  betook  himself  to  agri- 
culture. He  planted  himself  on  the  neck  of  land  where  Boston  new 
stands,  which,  from  him  was  called  Blaxton's  point,  when  the  Massa- 
chusetts company  first  arrived  with  their  charter ;  and  at  a  court  in 
Boston,  1633,  they  made  him  a  grant  cf  fifty  acres  of  land  near  his 
house.  But  with  the  maxims  of  this  company  he  soon  fell  cut.  "  I 
came  from  England,"  said  he,  "  because  I  did  not  like  the  Lord  Bish- 
ops ;  but  I  cannot  join  with  you,  because  I  would  not  be  under  the 
Lord  Brethren."  On  this  account,  he  removed  and  settled  about  three 
miles  north  of  Pawtucket,  on  an  estate  which  is  now  owned  by  Col. 
Simon  Whipple.  His  residence  was  on  what  is  now  called  Study  Hiil, 
where  his  library  and  buildings  were  burnt  in  king  Philip's  war.  This 
was  on  the  bank  of  Pawtucket  river,  which  above  takes  the  name  of 
Biackstone  from  this  early  settler.  He  appears  to  have  been  intimate 
•with  Mr.  Williams,  preached  frequently  at  Providence  and  places  ad- 
jacent, and  left  behind  him  the  character  of  a  godly,  pious  man.  His 
family  is  now  extinct.  He  planted  an  orchard  just  east  of  Study  Hill, 
which,  we  are  told,  was  the  first  that  bore  fruit  in  the  Rhode-Island 
colony.  Some  of  the  trees  of  this  orchard  were  alive  and  thrifty  140 
years  after  they  were  planted,  but  now  all  of  them  have  gone  to  decay.* 

*  Backus,  vol.  1.  p.  58. 


Appendix.  491 

[No.   VII.] 

A   Letter  from    the   Baptists  in  Philadelphia  to  the  Episco- 
palians. 

{The  contents  of  this  letter  will  suggest  to  the  reader  the  circumstances,  under 
wliicli  il  was  written.  But  it  may  be  proper  to  observe,  that  the  Episcopa- 
lians had  possessed  themselves  of  a  meeting-house  and  lot  belonging  to  the 
Baptists  in  the  township  of  Oxford,  Pennsylvania.  They  afterwards  attempt- 
ed to  do  the-  same  in  Philadelphia:  this  letter  was  written,  however,  prior  to 
that  event,  and  at  a  time  when  a  Mr.  Clayton,  an  Episcopal  minister  in  Phila- 
delphia, to  whom  it  was  addressed,  was  labouring  to  possess  himseli "of  the 
Baptist  congregation  in  that  city.] 

"  SIR, 

"  WHEREAS  we  received  a  letter,  invitatory  from  you  to  return  to 
your  Church  of  England,  dated  September  26,  1698,  wherein  you  de- 
sire us  to  send  you,  in  humility  and  without  prejudice,  the  objections, 
why  we  may  not  be  united  in  one  communion  ;  and  withal,  that  you 
doubt  not,  but  by  the  blessing  and  assistance  of  God,  you  will  be  able  to 
shew  them  to  be  stumbling-blocks,  made  by  our  wills,  and  not  by  our 
reason  ;  and  some  of  us,  in  behalf  of  the  rest,  having,  on  the  reception 
thereof,  given  you  a  visit,  and  had  discourse  with  you  concerning  seme 
of  the  ceremonies  of  your  church,  about  which  you  gave  no  satisfac- 
tion, we  knew  not  that  you  expected  any  other  answer  from  us.  But 
in  your  late  letter  to  John  Watts,  you  signify,  that  you  have  received 
no  answer  to  your  former  letter  ;  we,  therefore,  taking  this  into  con- 
sideration, do  signify,  in  answer  to  your  foresaid  invitation  and  pro- 
posal, that  to  rend  from  a  rightly  constituted  church  of  Christ,  is  that 
which  our  souls  abhor  ;  and  that,  love,  peace,  and  unity  with  all  Chris- 
tians, and  concord  and  agreement  in  the  true  faith  and  worship  of 
God,  are  that  which  we  greatly  desire;  and  we  should  be  glad  if 
yourself  or  others  would  inform  us  wherein  we  err  from  the  truth 
and  ways  of  Christ ;  nor  are  we  at  all  averse  to  a  reconciliation  with 
the  Church  of  England,  provided  it  can  be  proved  by  the  holy  Scrip- 
tures, that  her  constitution,  orders,  officers,  worship  and  service  are 
of  divine  appointment,  and  not  of  human  invention.  And  since  you 
yourself  are  the  person  that  hath  given  us  the  invitation,  and  hath  prom- 
ised to  show  us  that  our  objections  are  stumbling-blocks,  made  by  our  •wlils^ 
and  nit  by  our  reason  ;  and  we  understanding  that  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  only  head,  king,  lord  and  law-giver  of  his  church,  whom 
all  are  bound  to  hear  and  obey,  under  the  severe  penalty  of  an  utter 
extirpation  from  among  the  people  of  God  ;  and  that  his  laws  and 
will  are  only  to  be  found  in  and  known  by  the  sacred  Scriptures, 
which  are  the  only  supreme,  sufficient,  and  standing  rule  of  all  fairh 
and  worship  ;  and  not  understanding  the  constitution  of  your  church, 
with  all  the  orders,  officers,  worship  and  service,  at  this  day  in  use  and 
maintained  therein,  to  be  agreeable  thereto  and  warranted  thereby, 
hath  been  the  cause  of  our  separation  from  her,  and  is  the  objection 
we  have  to  make,  or  the  stumbling-block  which  lie's  in  our  way  to 
such  an  union  and  communion  as  you  desire ;  we,  therefore,  hope 
expect,  according  to  your  promise,  that  you  will  endeavour  IL* 


4-92  Appendix. 

removal,  by  showing  us  from  holy  Scripture,  these  two  things  as 
absolutely  necessary  in  order  thereunto:  ist.  That  the  formation  of 
your  church,  with  all  the  orders,  officers,  rites,  and  ceremonies,  now 
in  use  and  practised  therein,  are  of  divine  institution  ;  particularly, 
that  the  church  of  Christ  under  the  New-Testament,  may  consist  or  be 
made  up  of  a  mixed  multitude,  and  their  seed,  even  all  that  are  mem- 
bers of  a  nation,  who  are  willing  to  go  under  the  denomination  of 
Christians,  whether  they  are  godly  or  ungodly,  holy  or  profane  ;  that 
lords  archbishops,  and  diocesan  lords  bishops,  such  as  are  now  in  Eng- 
land, are  of  divine  institution  and  appointment ;  that  the  government 
of  the  church  of  Christ,  under  the  Gospel,  is  to  be  prelatical,  according 
as  it  is  practised  this  day  in  your  church  ;  and  that  your  ecclesiastical 
courts  are  of  divine  appointment  ;  that  particular  churches  or  congre- 
gations, with  their  ministers  or  elders,  who  have  power  and  authority  to 
receive  persons  into  membership,  have  not  likewise  authority,  by  Math- 
thew  xviii.  15 — 1 8,  and  Corinthians  v.  to  execute  church  censures  and 
excommunication  upon  miscreants,  swearers,  liars,  drunkards,  adulter- 
ers, thieves,  atheists,  &c.  ;  but  that  it  is  of  divine  appointment,  that  they 
must  be  presented  to  their  ordinaries,  and.only  proceeded  against  in  your 
ecclesiastical  courts  ;  that  the  several  offices  of  deans,  subdeans,  chap- 
ters, archdeacons,  prebendaries,  chancellors,  commissaries,  officials,  reg- 
isters, canons,  pettycanons,  vicars,  chorals,  apparitors,  organists,  vergers, 
singing-men  and  boys,  septins,  epistlers,  gospel'ers,  and  such  like  offi- 
ces and  officers  of  your  church  and  ecclesiastical  courts,  are  of  divine 
institution,  or  have  any  Scripture  warrant  to  justify  them,  and  to  bear 
them  harmless  in  the  last  day  ;  that  imp-caching  ministers  may  cele- 
brate the  sacraments  by  Scripture  warrant ;  that  their  different  ap- 
parel in  time  of  divine  service,  such  as  hoods,  tippets,  surplices,  &c. 
are  of  divine  institution,  or  have  any  Scripture  warrant  under  the 
New- Testament ;  that  the  manner  of  the  publics  service  and  liturgy 
of  the  Church  of  England,  with  the  visitation  of  the  sick,  burial  of 
the  dead,  churching  of  women,  matrimony,  &c.  as  now  in  use,  are  of 
divine  appointment ;  that  the  people  ought,  by  the  rule  of  God's  word, 
aud.ibly  with  the  ministers,  to  say  the  confession,  Lord's  prayer,  and 
creed  ;  and  make  such  answers  to  the  publick  prayers,  as  are  appoint- 
ed in  the  book  of  common  prayer  ;  that  it  is  God's  holy  will  and 
pleasure,  that  saint  days  and  holy  days  should  be  kept  and  observed 
by  Christians,  according  to  the  uie  of  the  Church  of  England  ;  that 
instruments  of  musick  are  to  be  used  in  God's  worship,  under  the 
New-Testament ;  that  infant  baptism  is  a  duty ;  that  pouring  or 
sprinkling  water  is  the  right  manner  of  baptizing  ;  that  your  manner 
of  administering  the  sacraments,  and  signing  with  the  sign  of  the  cross 
in  baptism  are  of  divine  appointment ;  that  god-fathers  and  god-moth- 
ers are  of  divine  appointment.  These  are  some  of  the  things  we  de- 
sire you  to  prove  and  make  plain  to  us  by  the  holy  Scripture.  Bat 
if  the  case  be  such  that  some  or  all  of  them  cannot  be  thereby  proved  ; 
then  the  2d  thing  necessary  to  our  reconciliation  with  your  church  ii, 
That  you  will  give  us  clear  and  infallible  proof  from  God's  holy  word, 
such  as  will  bear  us  harmless  in  the  last  day,  that  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  hath  given  power  and  authority  to  any  man,  men,  convocation, 
or  synod,  to  make,  constitute,  and  set  up  any  other  laws,  orders,  offi- 
qers,  rites  and  ceremonies,  in  his  church,  besides  those  which  he  hatJa 


Appendix.  495 

appointed  in  his  holy  word  ;  or  to  alter  or  change  those,  which  he 
harh  therein  appointed,  according  as  may,  from  time  to  time,  to  them 
seem  convenient ;  and  that  we  are  bound  in  conscience  towards  God, 
by  the  authority  of  his  word,  to  yield  obedience  thereunto  ;  or  wheth- 
er it  will  not  rather  be  a  sore  reflection  upon  the  sufficiency  of  the 
holy  Scriptures,  and  a  high  defamation  of  the  kingly  and  prophetical 
offices  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  suppose  such  a  thing. — Thus  have  we  in  hu- 
mility, and  without  prejudice,  sent  you  our  objections;  and  if  you  can, 
according  to  your  letter,  show  them  to  be  stumbling-blocks  made  by  our 
wills,  and  not  by  our  reaton,  we  shall  be  very  thankful,  and  you  shall 
not  find  us  obstinate,  but  ready  to  accept  your  invitation.  But  un- 
til you  do  so,  and  prove  the  constitution,  orders,  officers,  rites  and 
ceremonies  of  your  church  to  be  of  God,  it  is  but  reason  that  you 
should  suspend  all  charge  of  schism  against  us,  and  desist  from  blam- 
ing us  for  our  peaceable  separation ;  which  is  all,  at  present,  from 
your  loving  friends,  who  desire  information,  and  unity  among  saints, 
and  the  church's  peace  ;  that  God,  in  all  things  may  be  glorified 
through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 

"  Subscribed  by  us,  members  of  the  general  meeting,  in  behalf  of 
the  rest,  March  n,  1699. 

"John  Watts,  Joseph  Wood,  George  Eaglesfield,  Samuel  Jones, 
George  Eaton,  Thomas  Bibb." 

The  times,  to  which  the  above  letter  refers,  were  remarkable  for 
the  spirit  of  proselyting,  excited  chiefly  by  means  of  the  Rev.  George 
Keith,  who,  it  is  said,  was  admitted  to  orders,  upon  condition  that  he 
would  return  to  Pennsylvania,  and  endeavour  to  bring  his  party  over 
to  the  Church  of  England.  He  and  his  brethren  met  with  success  at 
first ;  but  a  copy  of  the  above  letter  being  made  publick,  they  were 
somewhat  embarrassed,  and  their  progress  retarded.* 


[No.  VIII.] 
Civil  State  of  Dissenters  in  England,  1793. 

"  Every  dissenter  in  England  is  excluded  from  all  civil  and  ecclesi- 
astical employment  of  honour  and  profit  in  the  kingdom.  No  dissent- 
er can  be  admitted  to  command  in  the  army  or  navy,  were  even  his 
country  invaded,  nor  to  collect  any  part  of  the  publick  revenue,  nor 
to  act  as  a  magistrate,  nor  to  graduate  in  either  of  the  universities,  nor 
even  to  take  a  degree  of  Doctor  of  Musick  or  Physick,  which  employ- 
ments do  not  seem  to  have  any  refeience  to  the  State.  Nor  will  die 
affirmation  of  a  Quaker  be  taken  in  any  of  our  courts,  in  any  criminal 
prosecution  whatever  ;  so  that,  if  a  man  of  this  denomination  were  to 
see  another  murder  his  father  or  his  wife,  he  could  not  prosecute  the 
criminal  without  denying  his  religion.  No  Quaker  can  practise  in 
any  of  the  courts  of  law,  not  even  as  an  attorney.  This  civil  incapa- 
city makes  Dissenters  be  looked  upon  by  the  vulgar  most  unjustly,  as 
rebels  and  enemies  to  government,  and  to  a  family  which  they  placed 
pn  the  throne  ;  and  in  all  seasons  of  alarm  and  tumult  they  have  ex- 

*  Edwarcls's  History  of  the  Baptists  in  Pennsylvania,  p.  99 — 104. 


494  Appendix. 

perienced,  and  do  experience  great  evils  in  this  way.  Every  Dissenter 
who  acknowledges  the  truth  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  is  tolerated 
in  the  exerci  :e  of  religious  worship  ;  but  lie  who  denies  the  Trinity,  is, 
on  conviction,  liable  to  confiscation  of  goods  and  imprisonment.  Dissenters 
pay  all  taxes  and  tythes,  and  are  obliged  to  serve  offices  in  the  church, 
which  are  attended  only  with  labour  and  expense,  as  church-warden,  &c. 
subject  to  heavy  penalties  if  they  do  not  serve,  or  find,  at  their  own 
expense,  a  proper  substitute!!" Rifflon's  Rtgister,  Vol.  \.  p.  524. 

Tiiis  statement  will  give  the  reader  a  view  of  the  condition  of  Dis- 
senters in  England,  and  will  sufficiently  explain  to  him  the  reason  why 
such  multitudes  are  continually  emigrating  to  America. 

This  kingdom  abounds  with  good  men  of  different  persuasions  ;  it 
has  long  been  the  nursery  of  genius  and  piety ;  every  Christian  land 
has  reason  to  respect  it,  on  account  of  its  noble  efforts  in  the  cause  of 
truth  ;  but  the  maxims  of  its  Cabinet,  and  its  Ecclesiastical  Constitu- 
tion, no  lover  of  liberty  and  equality  can  approve. 

To  the  above  statement  we  will  subjoin  the  following  account  of  the 
Church  of  England  taken  from  Simpson's  Plea  for  the  Sacred  Writ- 
ings. 

"  There  are  about  i8,oco  clergymen  in  England  and  Wales  of  the 
established  religion,  and  nearly  10.000  parishes.  The  rectories  are 
5,0^8  ;  the  vicarages  3,687  ;  the  livings  of  other  descriptions  2,970  j 
in  all,  11,755. 

"  Twenty  or  thirty  of  those  livings  may  be  £-"4444  :  44  and  upwards  a 
year  :  four  or  five  hundred  of  them  §,2222  :  22 — two  thousand  of  them 
£888  :  9O--hve  thousand  of  them  8444  :  45.  The  average  value  of  liv- 
ings is  about  £622  :  22. 

"  The  whole  income  of  the  church  and  two  Universities,  is  six  mill- 
ion, six  hundred  and  sixty~fix  thousand,  six  hundred  and  sixty- six  dollars  and 
sixty-seven  cents. 

*  "  There  are  twenty-six  bishops,  whose  annual  income  is  £408, 888 : 
90;  each  bishop  has  therefore  on  an  average  ^15,726  :  50,  supposing 
he  had  no  other  preferment. 

"  There  are  28  cathedrals,  26  deans,  60  arch-deacons,  and  554  pre- 
bends, canons,  &c.  Besides  these,  there  are  in  all  about  300  in  orders 
belonging  to  the  different  cathedrals,  and  about  900  lay  officers,  such 
as  singing-men,  organists,  &c.  who  are  all  paid  from  the  cathedral 
emoluments  ;  so  that  there  are  about  1 800  persons  attached  to  ihe  sev- 
eral cathedrals,  and  divide  among  them  £62  2,2  2  z  :  22." 

One  man  may  possess  several  preferments  at  the  same  time,  and 
may  receive  the  enormous  sum  of  ^8,888  :  QO,  per  annum  ! — "LAW, 
bishop  of  Carlisle,  possessed,  at  the  lime  of  his  decease,  ten  nr  more  pre- 
ferments. He  was  a  bishop,  head  of  a  college,  prebend,  rector,  libra- 
rian, &c.  &c.  &c." 

This  picture  is  sufficient  to  convince  Americans  of  the  impropriety 
f)f  a  union  of  Church  and  State.  Were  it  necessary,  such  a  melan- 
choly picture  might  be  drawn  from  the  statements  of  that  worthy  man 
and  Christian,  DAVID  SIMPSON,  (who  disdained  to  be  considered  an 
hireling  of  the  corrupt  Church  of  England,  and  of  course  withdrew)  as 
would  strike  the  mind  with  horror  !  Any  one  who  wishes  to  be  fur- 
ther acquainted  with  the  history  of  them,  may  find  it  in  a  volume 


Appendix.  495 

written  by  David  Simpson,  A.  M.  entitled,  "  A  plea  for  Religion  and 
the  Sacred  Writings,  addressed  to  the  disciples  of  Thomas  Paine, 
and  to  wavering  Christians  of  every  denomination." 


[No.    IX.] 

Summary   Vieiu  of  the  Different  D?nomina!ioni  of  Christians  in  the  United 

S'ates. 

THE  number  of  the  Baptists  will  be  exhibited  in  the  following  Table. 

It  is  probable:  the  Methodists  count  as  many  members  in  their  so- 
ciety, if  not  more,  than  any  one  denomination  in  America.  Accord- 
ing to  their  Minutes,  the  sum  total  of  their  members  this  year 
amounts  to  214,307  ;  42,809  of  whom  are  people  of  colour.  The 
preachers  in  full  connexion  are  678,  those  on  trial  are  178  ;  making  the 
sum  total  of  preachers  856.  The  increase  of  their  society  this  year  is 
18,950.*  The  members  in  Canada  are  not  reckoned  in  this  statement. 
Their  number  in  both  Provinces  last  year  was  a  little  short  of  3000  ; 
but  it  is  said  great  additions  were  made  to  them  this  year.  In  this 
statement  are  included  all,  who  belong  to  the  Methodibt  Classes  ;  what 
proportion  of  these  come  up  to  their  communion,  one  of  their  ministers 
informs  me,  cannot  be  ascertained  with  any  degree  of  correctness.  A  gen- 
tleman, who  was  a  number  of  years  a  preacher  in  their  connexion,  sup- 
poses, that,  take  the  denomination  at  large,  not  more,  if  so  many  as 
half  of  those  in  Society,  are  communicants. 

The  total  number  of  the  Methodist  Society  in  1809,  in  Britain  and 
Ireland,  the  West-Indies,  British  Dominions  in  America,  and  the  Uni- 
ted States,  was  334,628^ 

The  Congregationlists  are  the  most  numerous  denomination  in  New- 
England.  Their  congregations,  in  1801,  were  over  a  thousand.:];  In 
1796,  according  to  Dr.  Morse,  their  churches  in  Connecticut  only,  were 
zoo,  their  pastors  170,  and  their  communicants  20,000.$  In  Massa- 
chusetts, their  number  of  preachers  now  is  over  400,  the  number  of 
churches  nearly  500.  ||  The  number  of  this  denomination  in  other 
States  I  am  not  able  to  state,  but  it  must  be  small  compared  with 
New-England. 

The  number  of  Presbyterian  congregations  in  America  was,  in 
1788,  computed  to  be6£8:  there  were  226  ministers.-'*  They  have 
probably  increased  considerably  since.+f 

The  Independents  are  small  compared  with  either  of  the  formention- 
ed  sects. 

*  Minutes  of  the  Annual  Conferences  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
Sec.  for  IS  i3. 

f  Lee's  History  of  the  Methodists,  p.  359. 

±  Hannah  Adams's  View  of  Religions,  p.  449. 

§  Geography,  vol.  1.  p.  453. 

I  Massachusetts  Register  for  1813. 

**  View  of  Religions,  p.  451. 

If  The  Congreanitionalists  and  Presbyterians  are  so  often  blended  together,  es- 
pecially in  New-England,  that  those  who  have  not  studied  their  ru~.es  ••  f  disci- 
pline, know  not  in  what  the  difference  between  them  consists.  Tlie  Presbyte- 


406  Appendix. 

The  Friends  have,  in  the  United  States,  505  meetings  for  worship, 
their  monthly  meetings  are  179  ;  their  yearly  meetings  43.* 

The  number  of  Episcopal  congregations  I  have  not  learnt. 

The  whole  population  of  the  Roman  Catholicks  in  the  United  States, 
in  1 80 1,  was  supposed  to  be  50,000. 

The  number  of  the  smaller  sects  cannot  be  ascertained. 

rians  have  the  following  gradation  of  ecclesiastical  tribunals,  viz.  Church  Ses- 
sions, Presbyteries,  Synods,  and  the  General  Assembly.  A  church  Session  con- 
sists of  the  minister,  or  minister  and  elders,  with  whom  is  vested  the  govern- 
ment of  each  church.  A  Presbytery  consists  of  all  the  ministers  and  one  ruling 
elder  from  each  church  or  congregation  within  a  certain  district.  A  Synod  is  a 
convention  of  several  Presbyteries.  The  General  Assembly  consists  of  dele- 
gates from  all  the  Presbyteries.  There  is  a  regular  course  of  appeals  from 
the  Church  Session  up  to  this  Assembly,  which  is  the  highest  judicatory  of  the 

Presbyterian  Church. Hannah  Adams's  Vieiv  of  Religions,  /2.4.50,  451. 

The  Congregationalisms  differ  no  great  from  the  Presbyterians  except  in 
church  government,  which  they  vest,  net  in  the  hands  of  the  minister  or  elders, 
Presbyteries,  Synods,  or  Assemblies;  but  each  church  is  supposed  to  have  pow- 
er of  itself  to  regulate  all  its  affairs :  it  is,  however,  thought,  that  they,  tcgeth- 
er  with  the  Independents,  are  verging  towards  the  Presbyterian  standard. 

*  This  account  was  furnished  by  Moses  Brown,  of  Providence. 


GENERAL  TABLE 


OF  ASSOCIATIONS  AND  CHURCHES. 


N.  B,  The  rmmes  of  ordaine:1.  ministers  are  in  Roman  characters,  unnrdaiiltil 
in  Italick.  The  names  of  all  the  ministers  as  far  as  they  can  be  ascertained, 
are  put  down,  whether  tliey  were  delegates  to  the  Assuciatioii  or  ru,t.  The 
dates  immediately  after  the  names  of  tiie  Associations  show  when  they  \vc-e 
organized. 


Nova-Scotia  and  New-Brunswick  Association.     1797« 

Held  in  Owilow,  June  24,  181 1.     Sermen  by  Edward  Manning. 


'    Ch.urc.htt, 

Cemll- 

Ministers. 

S3tm~ 

tUttfl. 

muni* 

tHHtt. 

Sissiboo 

60 

Lower  Granville 

fames  Manning 

60 

Upper  Granville 

Thomas  Ansley 

66 

Corn  wall  is 

1776 

Edw.  Manning,  T.  S.  Harding,  E.  J.  Reise 

2»3 

Hortou 

Newport 

l8oO 

88 

Ons  low 

1807 

Nathan  Cleaveland 

S8 

D;gby  Neck 

1809 

Peter  Craudall 

56 

Aniherst 

1809 

J7 

Salisbury,  N.B. 

l8oO 

Joseph  Crandall 

83 

Sack  vi  lie,  N.  B. 

i8co 

59 

Waierbury,  N.B. 

1800 

Elijah  Eastcrbrook 

5° 

Prince  William,  N.  S. 

idco 

L.  Hammond 

43 

Wakrfield.  N.  B. 

43 

Clements 

1810 

»  %F 

84 

Halifax 

JT95 

John  Burton 

31 

Niciau  and  Wilmot 

18,0 

Thomas  H.  Chipman 

i.8 

Chester 

1788 

Joseph  D;mock 

43 

Springfield 

.56 

Churches  19 

Ministers  13                               Total 
T.  S.  Harding,  Moderator. 

lego 

Echvard  Manning,  Clerk. 

District  of  Maine. 

LINCOLN  ASSOCIATION.     1804. 

Held  at  Sedgwirk,  Srpf.   16,  1812.     Sermon 

by  Phineas  Piilsbury. 

Bowdoinbam 

1784 

Job  Macomber,  Daniel  Pearson 

55 

Thomaston 

i78a.E:isha  Snow,  Samuel  Bjker 

•ttj 

250 

1st  Vnssalborough 

17881  leve  Martin 

•J 

,55 

ist  Whitefield 

.789 

Josep!)  Bayly- 

96 

Bristol  and  MisconguJ  ) 
Island                        J 

1792 

Samuel  A.  Flagg 

28 

Sr.  George 

1789 

Benjamin  Eames 

I52 

Nobleborough 
Hope 

'793 
1795 

Phineai  Piilsbury 
James  Steward 

78 
55 

Harlem 

17 

Woolwich 

1800 

Samuel  Stinson 

25 

Friendship 

1800 

41 

Warren 

1800 

Andrew  Fuller,  Rohert  C.  Starr 

94 

M'.iunt  Ephraim 

1801 

"    25 

Fairfax 

1801 

Stephen  D-xter,  Job  Lewis 

60 

liicsborcugh 

1791 

Lenriei  R;ch,  Thomas  Eame» 

79 

VOL.  2.                           63 

49S 


Table  of  Associations  and  Churches, 


Churches.             '  «•»•'"- 
tutet. 

Ministers. 

Viiulbaven 

1801 

John  Wagff 

1st  Palermo 

1805 

Sedgwick 

1805 

D.Merrill,  A.M.  Hen.  Hale,  Amarifk  D:dge 

Uniiy 

1800 

Iswc  Hall 

Columbia  and  Addison     1806 

Blu,  Hill 

1806 

John  Roundy,  Amos  Allen 

Nonhport 

1807 

Manivillc 

,807 

Job  Cnshman 

Carmel 

l807 

Pdal  Ruggles,  JaAit  Patten 

Surrey 
lit  Je.fferson 

1807 
1808 

Bfnjamm  Lord 
William  Allen 

sd  Jefferson 

1808 

Matinictu 

1808 

Deer  Isle 

1808 

Stetson 

1807 

1st  Camden 

1808 

lohn  Siill 

ad  Camden 

1808 

l-Vankfort 

1808 

Samud  AlUn 

Union 

1801 

sH  Vassalborough 

1808 

2;  P.i'eimo 

loc<' 

Orla0d 

1809 

Be  -fast 

i8oQ 

Ebenezer  Pin't/iajg 

rfhmpden 

1809 

ftuckstcwn 

1?OQ 

Sd.  White-field 

i8cc 

Dbcmont 

18.0 

3ideon  C(^ok,  John  Chadbourrrc 

ist  Steubcn 

1804, 

Nathaniel  Robinson 

BJ  Sreuben 

'806 

TrSDton 

1810 

Su  l,v.m 

1810 

Daniel  M'Master 

New-Charleston 

•L<- 

C.isrinc 

Beaverhiil 

IB  18 

id  Monivillc 

i8ic 

William  Dcv's 

Churches  $1 

Ministers  3,5                                T-ital 
Daniel  Mr-rrill,  Modemter. 

Samuel  Bdker,  Clerk. 

TOWDOINIIAM  ASSOCIATION-.     1787. 

Held  at  Readfi.ld,  Sejit.  2,5^  1811.     Sermon 

by  Thomas  Franc  ics. 

i«t  BowdcJn 

1788 

Joseph  D;-nslow 

ist  Sidney 

17^1 

Asa  Vv'i'.bcr 

ist  Litchfield 

1798 

Henry  Kendall 

Lewistofi 

1792 

Benjamin  Cclr,  Jarrrs  Garcelort 

Readfield 

1792 

Robait  Low,  Isaac  C*se 

Fayctte 

Oliver  Billings,  Daniel  Mason 

Wayne 

Lisbon 

Clinton 

Mc-phibosheih  Cane 

"New-Vineyard 

'794 

Wales 

James  Pierce 

Mount-Vernon 

Peter  Moore,  Johi  Presrot 

Leeds 

Thomas  Francies 

New-Sharon 

1802 

Samuel  vS  wet;,  Ambrose  Arnold 

Canaan 

i~95 

John  \\'<ip5 

fid  Sidney 

1806 

Joseph  Palmer,  Charles  H'tbber 

ed  Bowdoin 
Belgrade 

180^ 
1806 

Ichahod  Temp'e 
Eiias  Taylor,  Benjamin  BIsb: 
John  Robinson 

Table  of  Associations  and 


Churches. 

Cmi.'i. 

MitiifefA 

id  Lisbon 

l8C8 

(Vtnville 

l8ol 

ILi'inony 

l8ol 

Fa'rnington 

Monmouih 

l8lO 

Palmyra 

Piscataguis 

New-Portland 

td  Litchfield 

William  Stinsan 

Churches  28 

Ministers  «4                            Total 

Robert  Lev,  Moderator. 

Thomas  Francies,  Cltrk. 

CUMBERLAND  ASSOCIATION.     iSio. 

Field  at   North-Yarmouth,    Oct.    9,    i8ji. 

Sermon  by  Caleb  Blood. 

Ilnrpswcll 

1-86 

Samuel  Mariner,  Samuel  Woodward 

Hebion 

1791 

John  Tripp 

1st  Buckfield 

1791 

\athaniel  Chase 

Pans 

1791 

fames  Hooper 

Livennore 

1793 

John  Raines,  Thomas  Wyman 

Nrw-Gloucester 

'794 

Noith-Yaimuuth 

'797 

Sylvanus  Boardman,  Thomas  Greeo 

Jay 

1799 

josi-ph  Adams,   fc>sef>k  Macamier 

Biunswick 

1789 

Benjamin  Titcomb 

Portland 

1801 

Caleb  Blood 

sd  Buckfield 

1802 

Sumner 

1804 

Thomai  Macomber 

Be:hel 

179,5 

Ebenezer  Bray 

Jefferson 

1790 

Norway 

Minot 

1807 

George  Ricker 

Freepoi  t 

1807 

ibenezer  Pinkham 

Pcjepscot 

1808 

Joseph  Robert* 

Duimark 

1804 

Tiistram  J«rdan 

No.  5 

1809 

Lemuel  Jackson,  Anwiah  Re<fi 

Bridegton 

1807 

Hartford 

1810 

Reuben  Ball 

ad  Livermore 

1811 

Ransom  Norton 

Bath 

1810 

Silas  Stearns 

Churches  24 

Ministers  24                             Total 

Sylvanus  Boardman,  Moderator. 

John  Haines,  Clerk. 

New-Hampshire. 


N.  HAM  PSHIRE  ASSOCIATIO 
Held  at  Parsonsficld,  June  9,  1813. 

by  Otis  KobiptOH. 

Madhury 

1768 

William  Hooper 

1st  Berwick 

1768 

Joshua  Case 

San  ford 

1772 

Gtlmanton 

1772 

Walter  Powers 

1st  Wells 

1780 

foteph  Eaton 

set  Berwick 

1804 

Nathaniel  Lord 

Ljman 

1782 

Simon  Lork 

ist  Shapleigh 

1781 

William  Godiug 

1st  Waterborbugh 
Cornish 

1/9' 

1792 

Henry  Smith 
Timothy  Rcmick 

Newtown 

1/96 

Stanid  Tfcfofary 

500 


Table  of  Asseciations  and  Churches. 


Churches. 

dniti- 
tutal. 

Ministers. 

Limerick 

^96 

Parsonsfield 

1796 

Wentworth  Lord 

Buxton 

1798 

Abner  Flanders 

Lebanon  and  Berwick 

1801 

Zcbedee  Delano 

Newmarket 

1801 

Exeter 

l£o* 

Limington 

1802 

Ebecezer  P.  Kinsman 

East  Parish  Wells 

l8o,3 

Joshua  Rober's 

Arundel 

1803 

Andrew  Sherburne 

ad  Waterborough 

1804 

ed  Shapleigh 

'785 

Hellu 

1807 

Timothy  Hodsdon 

Newfield 

1807 

Effinghara 

1808 

Levi  Chadbourn 

gd  Berwick 

1808 

William  Chadboura 

Ossipee 

l8lO 

William  Taylor 

Hiram 

1810 

Salisbury 
Gillford 

1810 
l8ll 

Otis  Robinson 
Uriah  Morrison 

Cliuicbet  30 

Ministers  zt                            Total 

Oiis  Robinson,  Moderator. 

Andrew  Sherburne,  Clerk. 

N.  B.    The  great  Brentwood  church,  is  for 

some  reason,   which    I    have  not    learnt, 

dropped  from  these  Minutes.      We  shall 

therefore  give  it  a  place  among  the  uuas- 

sociated  churches. 

MEREDITH  ASSOCIATION.     1789. 

Held  at  Meredith,  Sept.  11,  1811.     Sermon 

by  Otis  Robinson. 

Mereditk 

1780 

Nicholas  Folsom,  Abraham  Swain 

Sandborntoa 

1772 

John  Crockett 

Danville 

1/88 

David  Hardy 

Ryegate  and  Bamet 

James  Bay  ley 

Rumney 

1780 

Ezra  Willmarth* 

Con  way 

Eaton 

Churches  8 

Ministers  6                              Total 

Ezra  Willmarth,  Moderator. 

Ephraim  Crockett,  Clerk. 

*  Mr.  Willmarth  is  now  settled  at  Weare,  N.H. 

DUBLIN  ASSOCIATION.    1809. 

Held  at  Mason,  Oct.  17,  1810.     Sermon  by 

Elijah  Willard. 

Maso* 

1786 

William  Elliot 

Dublin 

'785 

Elijah  Wilfard 

Temple 

1782 

Sullivan 

Charles  Cummings 

Peterboro*  &  Society  ) 

Land                       ) 

Washington 

Churches  6 

Ministers  3                              Total 

,          i 

Elijah  Willard,  Moderator. 

Charles  Cunuuings,  CUfk. 

Table  of  Associations  and  Churches* 

Vermont. 

Churches. 

gmti 

Ministers. 

luial. 

WOODSTOCR  ASSOCIATION.    1783. 

Held  at  Canaan,  Sept.  <)•,  1812.     Sermon  by 

Ariel  Kendrick. 

Newport,  N.H. 

1778 

Thomss  Brown 

Windsor 

»7^5 

Jabez  Cottle 

Westmoreland,  N.H. 

*7Z' 

Chester 

•789 

Aaron  Lelan/1 

Alstead,  N.H. 

1700 

Jeremiah  Higbee 

New-  London,  N.  H. 
CornisJi,  N.  H. 

1788 
1787 

Job  Sramans,  Saml.  Ambrose,  Enoch  Hunting 
Ariel  Kendrick 

Giafton,  N.H. 

1785 

Joseph  Whcet 

Jamaica 

1790 

Canaan,  N.  H. 

I«O8 

Weathersfield  and  > 
Baltimore            J 

1805 

Beman  Boynto* 

Grafton,  Vt. 

1803 

John  Spalding 

Cavendish 

1803 

foaaihan  Going,  jr.  A.M. 

Goshen,  N.H. 

fohn  Colby 

Simon,  N.H. 

.803 

Wicdbain 

1807 

Thomas  Baker 

Townshend 

Windsor,  West  Parish 

1807 

Samuel  Latnson 

Andover 

1803 

[oel  Manning 

Londonderry,  N.  H. 

1811 

jerihom  Lane 

Acworth,  N.H. 

1809 

Senjamin  Stone 

Westminster  and  ) 

0,0 

Rockinghain     \ 
W.nhall 

lOiV 

1812 

Unity,  N.  H. 

IZ.TZ  Minor 

Piaiafield,  N.H. 

1792 

onathan  Cram,  Benjamin  Kimball 

Churches  25 

Ministers  2  1                              Total 

Aaron  I/eland,  Moderator. 

Jeremiah  Higbee,  Clerk. 

SHAFTSBURY  ASSOCIATION.     1780. 

•leld  at  West-Stockb  ridge,  June    3,     1812. 

Sermon  by  Isaiali  Mattison. 

Adams,  Mass. 

George  Witherell 

Albany,  N.Y. 

1811 

saac  Webb 

Berlin,  N.Y. 

178.5 

ustus  Hull,  Alderman  Bafccr 

Cambridge,  N.Y. 

1-78 

Obed  Warren 

ist  Canaan,  N.Y. 

779 

sd  Canaan,  N.Y. 

793 

ist  Cheshire,  Mass. 

769 

•artemus  Braman 

ttl  Cheshiie,  Mass. 

77  » 

Chatham,  N.Y. 

ob  Champion 

Charlotteville,  U.C. 

Cliftonpark,  N.Y. 

\bijah  Peck 

Clinton,  U.  Canada 

Kgrerrtont,  Mass. 

789 

)aniel  Sherwood 

East  HiUsdale,  N.Y. 

792 

\bel  Brown 

West  Hillsdale.  N.Y. 

787 

Lansinburg,  N.Y. 

Honsick,  N.Y. 

785 

Nassau,  N.Y. 

ilphrairn  Harris 

Pittstmvn,  N.Y. 

784 

Jnarles  Lahatt 

V.ttsficld,  N-Y. 

1773 

ohn  Francis,  jun. 

jjt  Powna),  Vt. 

1773 

)avid  Hulbeit 

501 


£02 


Table  of  Astociationt  tnd  Churchtt. 


Ckurckei* 

Cinni- 

Ministers. 

ulut. 

Schodack,  N.Y. 

Stephen  O'msted 

ist  Stephentown,  N.Y. 

178^ 

Julius  Breman 

jst  Shaftsbuiy,  Vt. 

1768 

[taiah  Mattisoa 

^•h  Shaftsbuiy,  Vt. 

1788 

Savoy,  Mass. 

Philip  Pearce 

Stanford,  Vt. 

Paul  Hirnes 

Troy,  N.Y. 

"795 

Francis  Waylanl 

Townscnd.  U  C. 

f-i'r     -U      *J 

Sandisfield,  Mass, 

1779 

Jesse  Haitwell 

Oxford,  U.C. 

\V.  Stockbridjie,  Mass. 

1790 

Churches  32 

Ministers  *i                              Total 

Obed  Warre«,  M.derafrr. 

William  Groom,  ji.  Clerk. 

VKRMOKT  ASSOCIATION.     178^. 

Oct.  6,  7,  18  13. 

Salem,  N.Y. 
Hubbaston,  Vl. 

1790 
1787 

Manuel  M.  Plunk 
Nathan  Dana 

Brandon,  Vt. 

1788 

Abiel  Fiiher 

Whiting,  Vt. 

Pittsierd,  Vt. 

J7^3 

William  Herinto* 

Foultncy.  Vt. 

'7^5 

Clark  Kendrick 

Moiikton,  Vt. 

1793 

John  Stearnt 

Rupert,  Vt. 

Peter  W.  Reynolds 

New-Haven,  Vt. 

Middleton.  Vt. 
Bridport,  Vt. 

1782 

Sylvanus  Haynes 
£!itha  Starkweather 

Cornwall,  Vt. 

Henry  Gieea 

Bristol,  Vt. 

Charlotte,  Vt. 

Gianvillc.  N.Y. 

1783 

Samuel  Rowley- 

Dorset,  Vt. 

Orwell,  Vt. 

1787 

Isaac  Sawyer 

Hineibur^h,  Vt. 

Samuel  Churchill 

Middlebury,  Vt, 

1809 

Nathaniel  Kendrick,  Horace  Grhwold 

Benson,  Vt. 

J  crony  H.  Dwyre 

Ji?,  Vt. 

1782 

Leland  Howard 

Panton,  Vt. 

Abe!  Woot!« 

Shoitliam,  Vt. 

'794 

Ephrarm  Sawyer 

Churches  eg 

Ministers  19                            Total 

Samuel  Rowley,  Cierk. 

The  Minutes  of  this  Association  were  forward- 

ed in  manuscript.     Where  it  was  held,  who 

preached  the  sermon,  and  who  was  modera- 

tor, are  not  stated. 

FAIRFIELD  Assoc  IATION.     Formerly 

called  RichmoEd,  formed  1795. 

Held  at  Faitfie'd,   Aug.   26,   1812.     Sermon 

by  I.  Oicutt. 

TticrmCBct 

'7°4 

Geotgia 

179S 

R.  Mean 

Wettford 

Berkshire 

Moses  Wares 

Cambridge 

1793 

S.  Holmes 

Swantoo 

I.  Orcutt 

>..vx  and  Jericho 

Ephraim  Butler 

Fail  fax 

'793 

Eu'iifield 

Issac  Sawyer 

7..:.CX'e;ough 

' 

Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


,703 


MiUon 
Morjj«town 

Churches  it 


Crafisbury 

Lancaster,  N.H. 

Littleton 

Concord,  N.H. 

Coventry  £  Iiasburgh 

De.-by 

Barnston 

Lufienbiirgh 

Bethlehem 

St.  Juhnsbnry,  V't. 

Danville,  Vt. 

Churches  1 1 


VVilliamstown 

Iiarrc 

Chelsea  and  Tunbridge 

Randolph 

Btaintree 

fopsbarn 

Royalton 

Warren 

Hanover.  N-  H. 

Rime,  N.  H. 

Cbiuchss  1 1 


1809 
1807 

Isoo 

1808 

iXei 
l8ll 

i8n 
1788 


Ministtrs. 


Minisiers  6  Total 

Isaic  Sawyer,  Moderator. 
Ephraim  Butler,  Clerk. 

DANT  i  LI.E  Assoc  i  ATios'.     18,0. 

Held  at  Derby,  Vt.  June  17,  iSis.     Sermon 
by  Samuel  Chiwc!ii!!» 


Churchill 


1784 
1790 


R.  Smith 


Ministers  2  Total 

Samuel  Churchill,  Moderator. 
Daniel  Mason,  Clerk. 

BARRE  ASSOCIATION.     1807. 
Held  at  Braintrec,  Vt.  O  t.    10,  1810.     Ser- 
mon by  Ephraim  Btatler. 


Samuel  Hovey 
E'ijah  Huntingtoti 


Efias 
Isaac 


Ministers  4 


Total 

,  Moderator. 
Elijah  Huntingtur,  Clerk. 


<ti  Boston, 

>743 

Haveihill 

7^3 

Harvard 

776 

Mewton 

780 

Wbburn 

781 

Tcmpletofl 

782 

Rowley 

785 

Wc»ton 

1789 

Danvers 

1793 

Charlestow* 

1801 

RcTcily 

180  it 

Massachusetts. 

BOSTON  ASSOCIATION.     1811. 

Held  at  Weare,  N.H.  Sept.    1.5,1813.     Ser- 
mon by  Ebcnezer  Nelson. 
Thomas  Baldwin, o.n.  Dmiel Cketmtai,  A,B 
William  Batchelder 
Abi&ha  Samson 
Joseph  GraPion 
Thomas  Waterman,  A.M. 

Josiah  Convers 
Charles  Train,  A.M. 
Jeremiali  Chaplin,  A.M. 
William  Collier,  A.M. 


504 


Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


Churches. 

Ctnui. 

i  Itttd. 

Ministers. 

Salem 

1804 

Lucius  Bol!«,  A.  M.  E.  Williams,  A.  M.  ? 
Henty  A.  Ciaike                                       \ 

Reading 

Ebcnezcr  NeJion,  George  Evans 

Maiden 

W,  are,  N.H. 

l/Sj 

Ezra  Wii'marth 

New-Boston,  N  H. 

Isctiah  S;oiie 

Nottingham  West,  N.H. 

ISO.} 

African  Church  in  ) 
Boston                 ) 

«805 

Thomas  Paul 

Ipswich 

Newbury  and  New   ) 
buryport                  J 

1805 

John  Peak 

gd  Btwion 

>807 

Daniel  Sharp,  £.  Lincoln,  Johnson  Cliast 

Gloucester 

Marblehead 

Ferdinand  Ellis.  A.M. 

Cbelmsford 

John  Peckers,  Jokn  Parkhurst 

Londonderry,  N.H. 

Dunstable 

GofFstown,  N.H. 

Abraham  Gates 

Churches  27 

Ministers  54                             Total 

Thomas  Baldwin,  Moderator. 

Elisha  Williams,  Clerk. 

STTJRBRIDGE   ASSOCIATION.     1801. 

Held  at  Hardwick,  Sept.  30,   1812.     Sermon 

by  Joseph  Smallid»e. 

Button 

1765 

Samuel  Waters,  Isaac  Dwinnel 

Lkcester 

1738 

Pe'er  Rogers 

Chailton 
1st  Woodstock,  Con, 

1  "fj° 
1766 

James  Boomer 

2d  Woodstock,  Con. 

1792 

Amos  Wells 

Somb-Brimneld 
Belchertown 

1736 

'7',5 

Eiijah  Codd-ng 
David  Pease 

Stur  bridge 

!749 

Zenas  L.  Leonard,  A.M. 

ad  Ashto  d,  Con. 

'774 

3J  Ash  ford,  Con. 

1776 

Shutesbury 
\Vilbraham 

1780 
1768 

Joseph  Smallidge 
Alvin  Bennett 

Hardwick 

1708 

Lbenezer  Burt 

Thompson,  Con. 
P"mfrct  Con. 

'Z5o 

Parson  Crosby 
James  Grow 

Enfield  and  Long-  ) 
Meadow,  Con.   ) 

1792 

George  Atwell,  Ezekiel  Terry 

Killing'.y,  Con. 
Tot  land,  Con. 

1776 

Calvin  Cooper 
William  Hubbarrl 

1st  St,;ifurd,  Con. 
td  Stafford,  Con. 

1786 

Jonathan  Paik,  Samuel  Cutler 
Samuel  Bloss,  A  M. 

Churches  20 

Ministers  20                             Total 

Samuel  Waters,  Moderator. 

Zenas  L.  Leonard,  Clerk. 

LEYDEN  ASSOCIATION.     1793. 

Held  at  Gui'ford,  Vt.  Oct.  9,  1811.     Sermon 

by  Thomas  Pur  in  ton. 

l-eyr?en 

1780 

Asa  Hebard 

Levrrttt  and  Montague 

17*5 

Elijah  Montague 

lit  Guilford,  Vt. 

1780 

Jeremy  Packer,  Matthew  Bennet 

2d  Co!:aine 

Richmon.i 

1770 

Solomon  Wake  field 

Soirtf  rset,  Vt. 

Bummcfiton,  Vt. 

'7»3 

Jonathan  Huntley 

Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


SOS 


Churcha. 

Ceniti- 

Minister*.                                      <*"*• 

tuted. 

muni. 

Putney,  Vt. 

1786 

Jonathan  Wilson 

c*l*tt. 
76 

Halifax,  Vt. 

1784 

156 

Marl  borough  and  > 
New  Fane,  Vt.     J 

Mansfield  Bruce,  Benjamin  Co!* 

96 

3d  Guilford,  Vt. 

»791 

Benjamin  Bucklin 

40 

isi  Coiraine 

1780 

137 

Churlemont 

1790 

John  Rathburn,  Nathaniel  Rice 

»9 

Royaloton  and      ? 

Winchendon    \ 

Wendell 

I78j 

Samuel  King 

69 

Guilford  United  ? 
Church,  Vt.      S 

1782 

Lewis  Allen 

74 

Dana 

David  Bates 

50 

Rayalston  &  Warwick 

Levi  Hodge 

119 

Brookline 

Isaac  Welman 

HQ 

Fitzwilliam,  N.H. 

1790 

Nathaniel  Bowles 

-/ 

4° 

Swanzpy  &  Win-  ) 
cbe«ter,  N.H.  J 

1792 

82 

Heath 

Stephen  Barker 

*1 

Ncw-Salem 

J772 

Paul  Davis 

f 

91 

Wilmington,  Vt. 

Eli  Ball 

43 

Hinsdaie  and  Chester-  ? 
field,  N.H.             S 

Joseph  Elliot 

AV 

72 

Whiiingham,  Vt. 

64 

Wardsborough,  Vt. 

1792 

Stephen  Choate 

-i 

Churches  27 

Ministers  23                             Total 

2119 

E'ijah  Montegue,  Moderator. 

~ 

Paul  Davis,  Clerk. 

WESTFIELD  ASSOCIATION. 

Held  at  West-Springfield,   Sept.    i,    1813. 

Sermon  by  Elder  Bradley. 

Chesterfield 

1780 

Asa  Todd 

177 

1st  West-Springfield 

»7»9 

Jesse  Whitman 

& 

ad  West-Springfield 

Thomas  Rand,  A.M. 

6» 

Hinsdale 

Abraham  Jackson 

144 

Bucket 

Amos  Kingsley 

37 

Westfield 

I784 

128 

Chester 

John  Granr,  Silas  Kingsley 

41 

Churches  7 

Ministers  7                               Total 

65* 

Jesse  Whitman,  Moderator. 

John  Grant,  Clerk. 

1st  Boston,  Mass. 
\Vanen 

i^t  MivJJleboro',  Miss. 
ad  MidHleboro',  Mais. 
3d  Midiiiclxno',  Mass. 
Wreoiham,  Mass. 
Attlebor  .u'^h,  Mass. 
Ba/n^tah!  -,  Mass. 
M. .jheld,  Mass. 
Harw.ch,  Mass. 

VOL.  2. 


1665 
16 


i7i 

1769 

1769 

1771 

1776 

'7571 


Rhode-is/and. 

WARREN  ASSOCIATION.     1767. 

Held  at  Kingston,  Mass.  Sept.  7,  8,  1813. 

Sermon  by  Stephen  Gano. 
James  M.  Winchell,  A.B. 
Lutlier  Baker,     ••   •     •  Barton 
Samuel  Abbot 
Simeon  Coombs 
Samael  N-lson 

William  Williams,  A.M.  Samuel  Hascatl 
Tames  Read 
Barnabas  Bates 
William  Gammell 
James  Baxnaby,  A.M. 
64 


229 

112 

120 

1,6 
64 

109 

*35 
74 

19* 


306 


Table  of  Associations  And  Churches. 


Churthes. 

Canal. 

Ministers. 

Oar-- 

Ivttd. 

muni. 

cantt. 

ist  Providence 

1639 

Stephen  Gano,  A.  M.    John  Pitman,  A.  M. 

supplies    at    Seekonk,  Asa  Mcsser,   D.  D. 

1.  1..  D.    President  of    Btnvn    Univer-iry, 

Nicholas  Branch^   Herbert   Marshall,    Stu- 

dent in  the  University. 

43® 

Bridgewater,  Mass. 

178.5 

Shubael  Lovcl,  supply 

104 

Randolph.  M^ss. 

1780 

Joel  Brings,  A.M. 

43 

Carver,  Mass. 

17Q  1 

f~*     _         '                                               1 

66 

Marihficld,  Mass. 

1788 

Thomas  Cotant 

64 

sd  Sutton,  Mass. 

1782 

William  Batchelder 

2d  Tiverton 

1781 

O-.-l  IJ_             t  _1_      T3rt^J   ar. 

96 

Marsh  pee,  Mass. 

4* 

Newport 

1756 

John  B.  Gibson 

250 

Scekonk,  (formrrly  > 
Rehoboth.  Mass  ) 

1794 

Caleb  Mason 

53 

Grafton,  Mass. 

Amasa  Smith,  Luther  Goddaid 

77 

Taunton,  Mass. 

176l 

100 

Sotm-rsct,  Mats. 

1803 

37 

4tb  Middleboro',  Mass. 

Ebenrzer  Briggs 

4* 

sd  Providence 

l8o5 

7  J_   /**^_  __H       t     .     1          s**nr\\ 

ed  to  New-  York,    Elijah  F.  Willey,    Stu- 

dent in  the  University,  supply 

119 

Pawtacket 

.805 

David  Benedict,    A.  M.   Jonathan  Smith  > 
George  H.  Hough                                         £ 

80 

Kingston,  Mass. 

1805 

Samuel  Glover,  A.  M. 

Q6 

Hanover   Mass. 

l8o6 

John  Butler 

80 

Warwick  &  Coventry 

I8o5 

David  Curtis,  A.  M. 

186 

Holden,  Mass. 

1807 

Thomas  Marshall 

112 

3«J  Tiverton 

•808 

Jason  Livermore 

46 

Plymouth,  Mass. 

1809 

29 

Northbridge,  Mass. 
Piwtuxet 

I78o 
l8o6 

Otis  Coot>fr 
Bela  Jacobs 

1? 

Br.stol 

l8l  1 

56 

Pembroke,  Mass. 

l8l2 

Joseph  Torrey,  jun. 

5* 

Worcester,  Mass. 

l8l2 

William  Bentiey 

61 

New-Bedford,  Mass. 

l8l3 

'9 

Churches  38 

Ministers  42                            Total 

3988 

Stephen  Gano,  Moderator. 

David  Benedict,  Clerk. 

Geo.  H.  Hough,  Assist.  Cl^. 

YEARLY  MEETING 

In  the  Ancient  Order  of  the  Six  Principles  oj 

the  Doctrine  of  Christ.     Hfb.  vi.  i,  2. 

Held  at  Warwick,  Sept.  10,  1813. 

^fr.hnston 

1    "  1 

Elisha  Sprague 

47 

Rehoboth,  Mass. 
Stituare 

ga 

Preserved  Pearce 
Richard  Knight 

196 

Cumberland 
Coventry 
E'St-Greenwich 

173* 
1752 
1743 

Thomas  Manchester 
Thomas  Manchester 

12 

'4 

North-Kingston 
\Varwick 

1710 

John  Gardner 
Samuel  Littlefield 

57 

Richmond 

1774 

Joseph  James 

137 

Bufillville 

1790 

Noah  Millard 

33 

Foster 

1766 

John  Williams,  John  Wescott 

40 

Rehoboth,  Mass.  ? 
North  church  $ 

1789 

20 

Gloucester 

1778 

15 

Swanzea,  Mass. 

1693  Philip  Slade 

Oisego,  N.  Y. 

Table  of  Associations  and  Churches* 


Churcha. 

Amsterdam,  N  Y. 
Beuryter,  N.  Y. 

Churches  17 


Cmni. 

tulid. 


Minister i. 


Ministers  12  Total 

Thomas  Manchester,  Moderator. 
Richard  Knight,  Clerk. 


507 


49 

-r 
1361 


Connecticut. 


STONINGTON   ASSOCIATION.     1772. 

Held  at  Groton,  Oct.  20,  1812.     Sermon  by- 

Joseph  Cornel. 

lit  North-Stonington 

'743 

Pfleg  Randal 

181 

sd  Nor'h-Stonington 

1765 

S  mon  Brown,  Jeded.  Randal,  Asher  Miner 

279 

Groton 

John  Garo  Wij,h  man 

232 

Say  brook 

1760 

Eliphalet  Lester,  William  Witter 

92 

Exater.  R.  I. 

17,50 

Gershom  Palmer 

253 

W«st-Greenwich,  R  I. 

1780 

1  16 

is'  Colche*ter 

i"43 

William  Palmer 

75 

Richmond,  R,  I. 

177. 

Plaineas  Palmer 

ad  Colchester 

1784 

72 

Hampton 

1776 

82 

Montville 

1786 

Reuben  Palmer 

1.57 

Chatham  &  Haddam 

1778 

Solomon  Wheat 

1  11 

Watcrfoid 

Zadf  ck  Darrow,  Francis  Darrow 

156 

East-Haddam 

'700 

>irneon  Dickenson 

44 

phiafield 

1790 

Nathaniel  Cole 

Soutb-Kirgston,  R.I. 

1-778 

Enoch  Steadman 

53 

Stomngton-borough 

i"75 

Elihu  Cheesbrough 

69 

Nrw-London 

1767 

Samuel  West 

82 

Lebanon 

1805 

Nchemiah  Dodge 

80 

Mantfitld 

1809 

Jonathan  Goodwin 

75 

2<:  Say  brook 

1788 

Oliver  Wilson,  John  Waterhouse 

66 

3d  Colchester 

1810 

24 

Churches  22 

Ministers  22                             Total 

2299 

Samuel  We&t,  Moderator. 

Nehemiah  Dodge,  Clerk. 

GRO  TON  UNION  CONFERENCE.  1785. 

Held  at  Groton,  Juno  24,   1812.     Sermon 

by  William  Northup. 

Lyme 

1752 

Asa  Wilcox 

424 

Groton 

1765  Silas  Burrows,   Roswell  Burrows,  Jos.  Utley 

260 

North-Kingston,  R.  I. 

1782 

William  Northup 

265 

East-Greenwich..  R.  I. 

Stephen  Allen 

136 

1st  Reboboth,  Mass. 

1753 

'55 

jst  Westerly 

170 

ad  Westerly 

1770 

Jesse  Babcock 

262 

3d  Westerly 

1700 

97 

Preston  &  Canterbury 

1786 

Amos  Reed 

4* 

ad  Rehoboth 

1762 

Samuel  Northup,  deceased 

73 

Norwich 

1800 

John  Sterry 

110 

zd  Lyme 

1812 

Matthew  Bolles 

25 

Churches  12 

Ministers  8                                Total 

182^ 

William  Northup,  Moderator. 

Roswell  Burrows,  Clerk. 

50S 


Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


CAurcAes. 

Cmiti- 
lu.ed. 

Ministers. 

DANBURY   ASSOCIATION. 

1790. 

Held  at  Wallingford,  Oct.  7,  1812. 

Sermon 

by  Ruius  Babcock. 

Suffie'd 

1775 

Asahel  Morse 

Meriden 

Samuel  Miller 

Sotitbington  and  ) 

Farmington       J 

'739 

Lirchficld 

1789 

Stra  field 

1751 

Roxbury 

1700 

Isaac  Fuller 

Wairen 

1786 

Wolcott  and  Bristol 

1780 

Daniel  Wildmah 

CHebrook 

17Q'< 

3.ufus  Babcock 

ad  Sandisfietd,  Mass. 

I7tf 

2-i  Dover,  N.  Y. 

1704 

East  Hartford 

'78;? 

Eliada  Blakesley 

Canton 

I^QQ 

Tared  Mills 

Newtown 

j^  - 

'794 

•  ohn  Sherman 

Haitford 

179^ 

Elisha  Cuihman 

1st  Middletown 
Winchester 

»795 

George  Phippen,  A.  M. 

Sharon  and  Cornwall 

1793 

Hezckiah  West 

Amenia  Town,  N.  Y. 

/  .7U 

1787 

Calvin  Phillio 

Milton 

Berlin 

Enoch  Green 

North-east  Town,  N.Y. 

»75: 

Isaac  AllertoH 

W«ther<field 

Uonh-Haven 

1811 

foshua  Bradley,  A.  M.*  //.  Lines,  D. 

Wright 

Churches  24 

Ministers  17 

Total 

Asahel  Morse,  Mcdtrater. 

Joshua  Bmdley,  Clerk. 

*  Lattly  removed  to  Windsor^  Vt. 

Piseataway.  N.  T. 

i68q 

Scotch  P  ains,  N.  J. 

1747 

King  Street,  Coo. 

1747 

Oyster  Bay 

1748 

Morristown,  N.  J. 

i752 

jst  New-York 

1762 

Mount  Pethel,  N.  J. 

'7^7 

Lyon's  Farms,  N.  J. 

1769 

Rthel,  N.Y. 

1770 

Staten-Island 

1786 

Nonhfield,  N  J. 

.-86 

Samptown,  N.  J. 

1792 

Middktovra 

.798 

Newark,  N.  J. 

1801 

Randolph,  N   J. 

1802 

South  River,  ty.  J. 

1805 

Ntw-Rochelic 

|g»7 

North  Cfcnrch,  N.Y. 

1805 

Southoid,  N.  J. 

1800 

Newtown 

i8oc 

Coram 

1810 

NtW-YoRK   ASSOCIATIOK.      1791. 

Held  at  the  City  of  New- York,  May  19, 
1813.  Sermon  by  Jacob  F.  Randolph. 

James  M'Laughlan,  Jacob  Sutten 

Thomas  Brown 

Nathaniel  Finch 

Marmaduke  Earle,  A.  M. 

Samuel  Trott 

William  Parkinson,  A.  M.  Samuel  Carpenter, 
John  Seger,  George  Hadtey 

John  Ellis 

James  Wilcox 

Daniel  Hall,  Augustine  Elliot 

Moses  Edwards 

J.  F.  Randolph,  R.  F.  Randolph 


Drake  Wilson,  James  Flandrow,  j un. 
Cornelius  P.  Wyckoff 

G.  W.  GriiBths 


Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


509 


Churches. 

Ctnit 

Ministers. 

Com. 

luted. 

muni. 

Jefferson  Village,  N.J. 

l8lO 

J.  Gildersleeve 

«.| 

Abyssinian 

1809 

Jacob  Bishop 

73 

N:agaia,  U.  C. 

1808 

Eikanah  Holmes 

22 

Hudson 

1810 

Hervey  Jenks,  A.  B. 

3<S 

Byram 
Masonlcus 

1810 
1812 

Ebentzer  Jane 

It 

ist  Frankford,  N.  J. 

1813 

Churches  28 

Ministers  26                            Total 

'95* 

Jacob  F.  Randolph,  Moderator. 

Roswell  Grave*,  Clerk. 

WARWICK  ASSOCIATION.     1791. 

Held  at  Bedford,  June  s,  1813.     Sermon  by 

Lebbeus  Lathrop. 

Warwick 
ist  Wantage,  N.  J. 

1766 
1756 

Labbfus  Lathrop 

Silas  Southworth 

104 

Newburg 

1785 

3° 

Clintontown 

«79' 

fohn  Dodge 

Stamford,  Con. 

1770 

ibenezer  Ferris,  Frederick  Smith 

40 

Cross  River 

1789 

12 

Bedford 

1786 

izra  Fountain 

JO7 

Biookfield 

1784 

ienryBali 

**/ 

107 

Deer  Park 

ienjamin  Montanye 

Pleasant  Valley 

1790 

Levi  Hall 

126 

Middletown 

1792 

23 

ed  Wantage,  N.  J. 

'797 

ohn  Wintermote 

Peekskill 

'793 

i.  Charlock,  Daniel  Steers 

25 

Marbletown 

179° 

39 

York  Town 

1784 

Icuben  Garrctsoa 

52 

Newfoundland 

Thomas  Teasdalc 

il 

Neversink 

34 

Latin  Town 

Aaron  Perkins 

51 

Thompson  Town 

..uke  Davies 

20 

Hamburgh 

.57 

Churches  20 

Ministers  »6                             Total     116.5 

Lebbeus  Lathrop,  Moderator. 

Ezra  Fountain,  Clerk. 

UNION  ASSOCIATION.     1809. 

ield  at  Danbury,  Sept.  7,  181  1.     Sermon  by 

Enoch  Ferris. 

fid  Fishkill 

1784 

24 

Carmel 

1788 

Ebenezer  Cole 

<7 

207 

Wilton,  Con. 

Levi  Dikeman 

105 

Frederickstown 

1772 

Simeon  Barrett 

148 

North  Church  in   > 
Stamford,  Con.  ) 

Hfenry  Hoit 

67 

ist  Fishkill 

1780 

fonathan  SturHivant 

36 

ist  Danbury,  Con. 

1/85 

Nathaniel  Bulkly 

40 

Ed  Danbury,  Con. 

1790 

38 

North-Salrin 

fob  Foss 

56 

Patterson  &  Southeast 

Enoch  Ferris 

45 

Churches  to 

Ministers  7                               Total 

761 

Enoch  Ferris,  Moderator. 

Job  Foss,  Clerk. 

510 


Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


Churches. 

Cmstl- 

titled. 

Mrniittrs. 

RENSSELAERVILLE     ASSOCIATION. 

1796.  —  Held  at  Coeymans,  Oct.  14,  1812. 
Sermon  by  Orlando  Mack. 

RensselaervJIle  &  Bern 

1706 

Ephrarm  Crocker 

ist  Rensselaerville 

1787 

[ames  Mackay,  John  Winans 

sd  Rensselaerville 

1702 

fosiah  Baker 

1st  Coeyraans 

1788 

William  Stewart,  Ebenezer  Wyekei 

Broome 

1705 

Levi  Streeter 

Bern 

1798 

fjchemrali  H.  Riplcy 

Duancshurgh  and  j> 
Florida              5 

1800 

R.euben  Mudge 

Durham 

1800 

rlermon  Hervey 

Windham 

ftczekiah  Pcttit 

Charlcstown 

1793 

Elijah  Herrick 

Worcester,  N.  Y. 

Rensselaerville  and  > 
Coeymans             J 

1810 

Adam  Clark 

Caiio 

Joseph  Arnold 

Catskill 

Jefferson 

James  Mead 

Blenheim 

Orlando  Mack 

Churches  16 

Ministers  16                            Total 

Elijah  Herrick,  Moderator. 

John  M.  Peck,  Clerk. 

SARATOGA  ASSOCIATION.    1805. 

Held  at  Kingsbury  ,  June  30,  1813.     Sermon 

by  Samuel  Rodgers. 

Broadalbin 

Ba'lstown-Spa 

Elias  Lee 

Bottskill 

1782 

Edward  Barber 

ist  Fort  Ann 

ad  Fort  Ann 
Florida 

Sylvapas  Hawley 

ist  Gal  way 

1789 

ad  Galway 

»79o 

Samuel  Rodgers 

ist  Greenfield 

!79» 

2d  Greenfield 

John  Lewis 

3d  Greenfield 

Hartford 

1788 

Amasa  Browa 

Hartford  &  Kingsbury 

Calvin  H.  Swain 

Had  ley 

Kingsbury 

1789 

Ebcnerer  HerringtQH 

Luzernc 

Milton 

1793 

Moreau 

Northampton  and  ? 
Edinburgh           > 

Aaron  Simmons 

Providence 

1790 

Jonathan  Finch 

Pawlet,  Vt. 

1790 

Isaac  Bcals 

l  st  Saratoga 

179° 

Azariah  Hanks 

&d  Saratoga 

1793 

E.  P.  Langworthy 

Churches  23 

Ministers  !g                            Total 

Isaac  Beals,  Moderator. 

Eli  Smith,  Clerk. 

LAKE  GEORGE  ASSOCIATION'.     1809. 

Held  at  Bolton,  Sept,  5.  1812.    Sermon  by 

James  Whitehead, 

Caldwell  &  Thurman 

Darnel  M'Bride 

Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


Sll 


Churches. 

C»>ii/i. 

Ministers. 

tultd. 

Chester 

Jehiel  Fox 

ist  Scaroon 

ti  Scaroon 

James  Whitekead 

Johnsburgh 

Kiuyontown 

Churches  6 

Ministers  g                              Total 

ESSEX  ASSOCIATION.     1802. 

Held  at  North-west  Bay,  Oct.  ai,  18  19.  Ser- 

mon by  Danial  Hascall. 

E'izabwbfown 

1796 

Daniel  Hascall 

N  -irth-west  Bay 

1807 

Parker  Reynolds 

Jay 

»79« 

Peru 

1794 

Plmsburgh 

1796 

Essex 

1807 

Churches  6 

Ministers  2                              Total 

Isaac  Sawyer,  Moderator. 

Parker  Reynolds,  Clerk. 

ST.  LAWRENCE  ASSOCIATION.   1812. 

Held  at  Stockholm,  Jan.  10,  1812.     Sermon 

by  Jonathan  Paine. 

Madrid 

1808 

Hopkinton 

1808 

Goui'erncur 

18.1 

Jonathan  Paine 

Stockholm 

1811 

Churches  4 

Minister  t                               Total 

Elisha  Starkweather,  Moderator. 

Daniel  Hascall,  Clerk. 

BLACK  RIVER  Assoc  IATION.     1808. 

Held  at  Ellisbfcrgh,  Oct.  2,  iBn.     Sermon 

by  Elisha  Morgan. 

Denmark 

1808 

Peleg  Card 

1st  Rutland 

Solomon  Johnson 

Champion 

1805 

Brownville 

1805 

AJams 

1805 

Amos  Lampsoa 

Hi-nd'  nan 

1806 

E  nery  Osgood 

2d  Rutland 

1808 

Martin  E   Cooke 

\Vatertown 

1809 

Amos  Gill,  Elisha  Morgin 

Ellisburgh 

1807 

Churches  9 

Ministers  6                               Total 

Emery  Osgood,  Moderator. 

• 

Martin  E.  Cooke,  Clerk. 

OTSEGO  ASSOCIATION.     179.5. 

Held  at  Brookfield,  Sept.  4,   1811.     Sermon 

by  Abel  Palmer. 

tst  Burlington 

'794 

ed  Burlington 
3d  Burlington 

1794 
'794 

Squire  Abbot 
Stephen.  Taylor 

Edmiston 

N.  Burlington 

1797 

tsr  Butternuts 

J793 

nd  Butternuts 

Bengal 

1808 

Nehemiah  Lamb 

BrookfieM 

'799 

Simeon  Brown 

512 


Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


Churches. 

Coiu/i. 

Ministers. 

1st  Exeter 

'n94 

Abel  Palmer 

2d  Exeter 

1805 

F'oyd 

1808 

Deerfield 

1801 

German  Flatts 

,801 

1st  Hsrkimer 

t8o2 

zA  Herkimer 

|>;o5 

Litchfi-ld 

1797 

New  Berlin 

'794 

Simeon  Camp 

2d  Norwich 

1799 

Jit  Newport 

'793 

Ebenezer  Vining 

Otsego 

>79t 

sd  Newport 

iSoo 

Lnurens 

'795 

Springfield 
North  Paris 

1789 
'797 

Calvin  Hulbert 

Schuylcr 

1797 

Salisbury 

1801 

Caleb  Todd 

Steuben 

1802 

Sangcrfield 

1798 

Stratford 

1809 

Whirestown 

1796 

Caleb  Douglas 

Warren 

'799 

Western 

1800 

Richfield 

'797 

Churches  34 

Ministers  10.                           Total 

Ebenez.-r  Vining,  Moderator. 

Nehemiah  Lamb,  Clerk. 

FRANKLIN  ASSOCIATION.     1811. 

Held  at  New-Lisbon,  June  17,  1812.   Sermon 

by  Warner  Lake. 

Hartwtck 

»795 

John  Bostwick 

New-  Lisbon 

Roxbury 

William  Warren 

Franklin 

'793 

Daniel  Robertson 

Oxford 

1"97| 

Middlcficld 

18051  Benjamin  Sawen 

Harpersfield 

Warner  Lake 

D  Ihi 

Maryland 

4th  Butternuts 
Colchester 

1807 

Samuel  Wakefield 
Richard  Wolsey 

Milford 

1807 

Edmund  Richmond 

Meredith 

Masonville 

Orange  Spencer 

Chenango  and  Windsor 
Coventry 

Lev!  Holcomb 

Churches  16 

Ministers  lo                             Total 

Warner  Lake,  Moderator. 

James  M'Collum,  Clerk. 

MADISON  ASSOCIATION.      1808. 

Held  at  Homer,  Sept.  8,  1813.     Sermon  by 

Daniel  Hascall. 

Brookfield 

Nathaniel  Marsh 

Carcnovia 

1801 

John  Peck,  James  Wheeler,  JacobCrapuy 

Columbus 

«806 

Cmcjunayas 

ifil 

Timothy  Shepherd 

Table  of  Association*  ami  Churches. 


CkurchiS. 

Cmiti- 

Ministers. 

tUUli. 

De  Ruytcr 

'"99 

Hudson  Bfnedict 

Eaton 

1806 

Joseph  Coley,  Benjamin  Pierte 

1'abius 

1803 

lohii  Upfoid,  Peter  P.  Roots,  A.M. 

German 

1806 

John  L»wton 

Homer 

l8o2 

Ailird  Bfimct 

Hamilton 

1796 

Dariel  il.israll 

Lysle 

Asahei  Holcomb 

Lenox 

l8ll 

Madison 

'797 

John  R.  Seaver 

Manlius 

Ger.s!iom  Breed,  Allen  Breed 

ist  NJson 

1806 

fid  Nelson 

1810 

Norwich 

1797 

Jona.  Ferris,  Elisha  Ransom,  Philander  KtUey 

Pompey  and  Manlius 

1798, 

Nathan  Baker 

Porupey 

1806 

Pomp»y  and  Fabius 

1812 

Trederirk  Freeman 

Peterborough 

1810 

tloswell  BcckvviUi 

Pharsalia 

1810 

Preston 

1812 

Sherburne 

1802 

Rcubtn  Tinniy 

Smithfield 

iJJci 

Xathanicl  L.  More 

Solon 

1808 

Nathan  Peck 

1st  Truxton 

1807 

2d  Truxton 

Rufus  Ficfmaa 

Virc'il 

Q 

to^...,!     .      * 

V  I'gll 

VV'estmftreland 

1804 

South  Pans 

Hczckiah  Eastman 

Churches  31 

Miuistcrs  go                            Total 

John  Peck,  Moderator. 

Lbcnezer  Wakelcy,  Clerk. 

CAYUGA  Assoc  IATION.    1801. 

Held  at  Palmyra,  Sept.  30,   1812.     Sermon 

by  Minor  Thomas. 

Aureliuj 

'79.5 

David  Irish 

Alfred 

1809 

Avon 

1800 

William  Furman 

Bristol 

1805 

Solomon  Goodaie 

Bcnton 

1805 

Brutus 

1799 

Israel  Craw 

2d  Benton 

i81o 

Boyle 

1809 

Daniel  Brown 

fid  Boyle 

Canandaigua 

1802 

Thomas  Tuttle 

Caledonia 

1810 

Caio 

1810 

Daniel  Palmer 

Dry  den 

1805 

Faimington 

i"'Q7 

Anson  Sha 

ist  Gornam 

1806 

2d  Gorbam 

1809 

Nehemiah  Lamb 

ad  Genoa 

1804 

Junius 

1807 

Samuel  Messenger 

Lima 

1800 

Thomas  Goiton 

Locke 

1806 

Benjamin  Whipple 

Lyons 

l8c8 

D:i:iiel  Irons 

Menta 

180,5 

John  Jf.tterifs 

Marcellus 

1806 

Elias  Harmati 

Middlesex 

1801 

JohuGoff 

1st  Ovid 

1804 

2d  Ovid 

1803 

Minor  Thomas 

Onondaga 

1804 

VOL.  2. 


JTable  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


Churches. 

C«n/M- 

Ministers. 

Ow-asco 

1796 

Elkanah  Cumstcck 

Palmyra 

iSco 

Jeremiah  Irons 

P«  n  fie  id 

1804 

Joseph  Case 

Phclps 

1799 

Jchiel  Wisner,  William  Roe 

Reading 

1807 

Sempronius 
Scipio,  united 

1807 

Robert  Nile* 
David  Rathbun 

•1st  Scipio 

1795 

Asa  Tuincr 

\Vayne 

1804 

Ephraim  Sanford 

•tst  WilHamsoa 

i8c.i 

ed  Williamson 

1808 

Mendon 

Churches  49 

Ministers  z^> 

Total 

Mmor  Thomas,  Moderator. 

Solomon  Goodale, 

Cfervt. 

HOLLAND  PURCHASE  CONFERENCE. 

1811.  —  Held  at  Shelden,  Oct.  i 

1,  1812. 

:st  Attica 

1808 

She  1  den 

1  80^' 

Hamburg 

1811 

WiUtnk 

18.0 

Pomfirt 

1808 

Joy  Handy 

a-1  Warsaw 

1810 

Chaut^uque 

808 

a<!  Pomtret 

1812 

fit!  Attica 

$d  Warsaw 

-    -  •  Case 

Churches  10 

Ministers  z 

Total 

Upper-Canada. 


Hollowell 

Crumbc 

Thurlow  and  Sidney 

Maikham 

Whitby 

Rawdon 


Churches  11 


Cohansey 
Cape.May 
ist  HopeweH 
Hightstown 
Salem 


THURI.OW  ASSOCIATION.     1804. 

Held  at  Markham,   U.  C.   Oct.   7,    1808. 

Joseph  Wmn 

Reuben  Grande!!,  Isaac  Camming? 

Elijah  Bcntley 

Asa  Turner 

No  late  Minutes  of  this  Association  have  been 
received.  According  to  Eider  Turner's  ac- 
count, in  1811,  it  stood  as  follows  : 

Ministers  8  Total 

New-Jersey. 

NEW-JERSEY    ASSOCIATION.       1811 

Held  at  MoQnt-H')!lpy,  September  21,  1813 
Sermon  by  Peter  Wilson. 

Henry  Smalley,  A.  M. 

Jenkin  David 
'7'5  J°hn  Bo^gs 
1745  Peter  Wilson,  A.  M. 
'755  Joieph   Sheppird,   A«  M.    John   P.    Coyper, 

'  1764,1*040  Cailile,  Benjamin  Htd&tr 


1690 


Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


515 


S/'UrcA'S 

tnuO* 

MiniiUrs 

luittt. 

Manahawkin 

1770 

Janb's  Town 

178^ 

Am  we  11 

1-98   C.  Bnrtolctre 

Burliugton 

1801 

Buigns  Aliuon,  o.  a. 

Mount-Holly 

1801 

ed  Hopcwcll 

1803 

Evesham 

18051 

A'  xinder  M'Cowan 

Trenton  &  Lamberton 

1805 

WiUidia  lioswcli 

PKtsgrove 

177' 

B>n  Elizabeth 

18.0 

ividmg  Ctt:k 

1761 

Wcst-d/ck 

179  a 

T.  Bror>ks 

Tuckahoe 

i~7'    Wiliiam  Wcrlty 

N  fm^ham 

18  :z 

1766  John  Cooprr 

Churches  at 

[                Ministers  ifc                           Total  , 

Pennsylvania. 

• 

PHILADELPHIA  Assoc  IATION.  1707. 

Held  at  Pai'ade'pm'a,  Oct.   5.   1813.     Ser- 

mon  by  Joseph  Mat  hias. 

Lower  Dublin 

1^89  Samuel   Jonrs,  D.D.    Alexander   Dennison 

David  Batetnan,  John  Becker 

Midd'crown 

1688  Benjamin  B?nnet 

Great  Val  ey 

'7'  l   Dav,d  Jones,  A..\J. 

Bi  mdywine 

«7»5  Charles  Moore 

Montgomery 

1U  Philadelphia 

«7V9  Silas  Hough 
1698  H»*nry  Holcombe.  D.D.  Wm  .  Roger»,D.  D. 
Daniel  Iamc*»  R'njamin  Ctlct 

South  impton 

1746  Themas  B.  Montanye 

Nt-w  Britain 

'7541 

Vincent 

1771  j 

H  Utown 

178*  'Thomas  Msthias 

M;ucus  Hook 

1789 

R  .xbury 

1789  Thomas  Fleeson 

Ni'-mokm 

J.  Wootvmon 

Dover 

2J  Philadelphia 

1803 

Wm.  White,  A.M.  J.Heu'son,  R.Proudfoot, 

haiah  Strattnn,  Geo,  PaUerun,  J.  Clark 

B'ocklcy 

Daniel  J.  Swinney 

Squ,m 

Frankford 

1807 

David  Jones 

Merion 

Horatio  G  Jones,  A.M. 

3d  Philadelphia 
tsi  African  church 

1^00 

1809 

John  P.  Peckwcith,  J(,/,n  Coxf 
John  Kinjj 

Hephzibah 

Lower  Providence 

Sansom  Street,  Phila-  ) 
•  tclphia                       $ 

1811 

William  Stouahtoo,  D.D.  Thomas  Billings, 
James  Patteison,  James  Tvmlins 

Churches  z  j 

Ministers  ,32                             Total 

Si'as  Hough,  b'pderalor. 

H.  G  Jones,  Uak.. 

CHEMCXG  ASSOCIATION.    1796. 

Held  at  Ehnya,  Oct.  7,  1812.     Sermon  t> 

Thomas  Sanley. 

Chemung,  X.  Y.* 

1-91 

Roswell  Goff 

Tawauia 

1799  i 

*  It  wis  supposed  this  town  vas  in  Pennsylvania,  cr  else  the  AssocaUDH  V«E!£ 
have  been  put  under  the  bead  of  New-Yerk. 


Table  of  Associations  and  Cburclxs. 


Churches. 

Ccmrl. 

Ministers. 

luted. 

Owego,  N.Y. 

1796 

J5,uh,  N.  Y. 

179^ 

Amos  Eglestone,  Themas  Strceter 

Klmyra,  N.Y. 

1807 

Owego  Cieek,  N.  Y. 

1807 

Jasper  Taylor 

White  Deer 

l8o8 

I'homas  Siniiey 

Burlington 

1809 

E!isha  Rich 

Spencer,  N.Y. 

iKio 

Pliinchas  Spau'ding 

Alba 

iS'o 

Simeon  Powers 

Hector,  NT.  Y. 

-,8io 

James  Reynolds 

Smiihfield 

1810 

Chuichcs  12 

M:n!Ster<:  9                               Total 

R  os  well  Goff,  Moderator. 

Thomas  Smiley,  C/trk. 

A.BINGTON  ASSOCIATION.     1807. 

Held  at  Palmyra,  August  28,  1811. 

Palmyra 

"\\'i:!i.'m  Partly 

Mount  Pleasant 

1?0" 

El'jah  Peck     ' 

Abington 

John  Miller,  Samuel  Sturcavant 

Churches  3 

Ministers  4                               Total 

RED  STONE  ASSOCIATION'.     1776. 

Held  at  Indian  Creek,  Sept-    i,  1809.     Ser. 

mon  by  Maihius  Luce. 

Uniontown 

1770 

White'y  Creek 

Benjamin  Stone 

Geo-ge's  Creek 
Tn-.key  Foot 

i  "90 
1775 

Nathaniel  Skinner 

Forks  of  Cheaf,  Va. 

1777 

Peter's  Crtek 

>773 

David  Phillips 

L.  Redstone 

Indian  Creek 

1783 

John  Patterson,  William  Slcm 

HeadofWhiteTy 

Amos  Mix 

Monor.gahela  Mouth  ) 
of  Maple  C'-eck        \ 

'79i 

Henry  Spears 

Forks  oi  Yon^h 

1789 

Big  Redstone 

James  Frey 

Connellsville 

James  E>(ep 

Ten  Mile 

1773 

Mathias  Luce 

Horse-shoe  bottom 

Charles  B.  Smi'h 

MonongahHa  Glades 

Sandy  Creek 

1785 

Plumb  Run 

Merrit's  Town 

William  BrownHeid 

Kind's  Creek 

1792 

George's  Hil's 

Daniel  Lovet 

Dunkard  Creek 

Big  Beaver 

Beulah 
Cross  Creek,  Vn. 

1797 
1802 

D.  Kimpton,*  T.  Davis,  W.  WilljarKS,  J-Jones 
John  Pricharrl 

Head  of  Short  Cretk 

Enoch  Martin 

Pigeon  Creek 

1775 

, 

fchort  Creek,  Va. 

1802 

Enoch  Martin 

Bate*'  Fork  of  Ten-mile- 

French  deck 

Glnde  Run 

1'crks  of  Will's    ? 

Cr?ek,  Ohio      $ 

Flat  Run,  Ohio 

Churches  33 

M'nlstefs  ?o*                             Totil 

*  Remixed  to  lite  Slatt  rJCtic- 

Table  of  Associations  and  Churcbex. 
Delaware. 


517 


Churches. 

Con  it!, 
tutd. 

Ministers- 

Can- 

DELAWARE   ASSOCIATION'. 

""''" 

Held  at  Welsh-Tract,  June  6,  1812.    Sermon 

l;f  Daniel  Dodge. 

Welsh  Tnct 

1701 

Gideon  P'errel 

'93 

Cow  Marsh 

l~8l 

3l 

Brynzion 

1784 

J  am  °s  Jones 

3.5 

Wilmington 

l^S^ 

Daniel  D'xJgq 

12,5 

London  Tract 

1780 

Jethro  Johnson 

67 

Misi;illJon 

1783 

Churches  6 

Ministers  \                                   Total 

"48* 

Gideon  FerreJl,  Mcdcrajjr.     . 

Joseph  Miles,  Clerk, 

Maryland* 


BALTIMORE  ASSOCIATION.     1792. 

Held  at  Sater's  meeting-house,  July  31,  1812 

Sermon  by  John  Welch. 

Harford 

'754 

!"1 

1st  Baltimore 

1785 

Lewis  Richairis 

'47 

Fredericktown 

'773 

John  Welch 

87 

Taney  Town 

1792 

16 

Tu.skarora  Valley,  Pa. 

1792 

49 

Old  Seneca 

'773 

1  1 

Huntingdon,  Pa. 

3° 

Hammond's  Branch 

»793 

William  Wilson 

38 

Sideling  Hill,  Pa. 

1789 

Thomas  Runyan 

33 

Pleasant  Valley 

1802 

Gabriel  Naurs? 

1st  Washington  city 
Conolloway,  Pa. 

i8o2|Obadinh  B.  Brown 
1754  John  Cook 

56 

Gunpowder 

iSo6:  Benjnmin  Green 

68 

Snters 

1806 

George  Grice 

33 

Upper  Seneca 

1805 

21 

fid  Baltimore 

'797 

John  Healey 

69 

Petapsco 

Edward  Choat 

29 

ed  Washington  city 

1810 

B7 

Churches  18 

Ministers  1  1                            Total 

«57 

John  Healey,  Moderator. 

John  Welch,  Clerk. 

SALISBURY  Assoc  IATION.     1782. 

Held  at  Broad  Creek,   Oct.  27,  1811.     Ser- 

mon by  Daniel  Hancock. 

Salutary 

1780 

Robert  Lcitimon 

66 

Nassiongo 

63 

New  tow  11 

13 

Matiponi 

25 

Indian  Town 

'73° 

69 

Head  of  the  Sound 

it 

Little  Creek 

4* 

Broad  Creejk 

1780 

Calclwr!!  Winso* 

46 

Bethel 

Isaac  Fuller 

3° 

Fowling  Creek 

1781 

3' 

Fishing  Creek 

1791 

Stephens  WooJfbrd 

I! 

Jones's  Mi's 

Stephens  Wool  ford 

2f> 

Barren  Creek 

Caldwell  Winsor 

3.t 

Straits  Hundred 

7 

Churches  14 

Ministers  4                              Total 

469 

Stephens  Woolford,  Moderator, 

John  M.ignifr,  jr.  Clerk, 

518 


Table 


*xd  Cburcb& 


Virginia. 

Churches. 

Canal- 

Ministers. 

wed. 

KETOCKTOK  ASSOCIATION.     1766. 

Held  at  Thamb  Run,  Famuicr  County, 

Kctockton 

17.56 

Mill  Creek 

17,58 

Rroad  Run 

1  7^2 

Cha-pawrnisic 

766 

William  Fiistoa 

Water  L..  k 

.787 

S.  O.  Hendtou 

B  cm  Town 

17/2 

Thumb  Run 

1-72 

Back  Lick 

17/6 

Henry  Toler 

Buck  Mars!i 

1771 

Htdgman'*  River 

1790 

Oecoquan 

•774 

North-River 
Nfw-Valley 

1  "39  John  Munroc,  Peter  Sherry 
*7°5  • 

Happy  Crak 

'7"3  Benjamin  Davson 

Frying  Pan 

1~9°  Jeremiah  Moore 

Crooked  Rua 

1786 

Goose  Creek 

,767 

Little  River 

'768   Robert  Latham. 

Long  Bianch 

1785 

Hattwood 

•  774 

North  Fork 

1782 

William  Gilmore 

Zoar 

»799 

Bbenezer 

1804 

Alexandria 

1803 

Leesburg 

iX«3 

Patterson  Creek 

1808 

John  Arnold 

Btthel 

1808 

South  River 

1770 

Nanjamoy 

179: 

Timber  Ri^ge 
"Upper  Goose  Creek 

1809 

Jonathan  Hutehinsp« 

Big  Cacapeon 
S.JVm 

j  ohn  Sowers 

Rock  Hill 

Grove 

Bethlehem 

ChsrcKes  36 

Ministers  it                              Total 

John  Munrne,  Moderator. 

Thomas  Buck,  Clerk. 

No  late  Minutes  of  the  remaining  Associa- 

tions in  this  Stare  fcavc  been  received.     The 

following  statements  are  taken  from  Scruple's 
History,  which  represents  the  churches  as  they 

stood  in  1809. 

The  usual  information  respecting  the  time 
of  Session,  thf   preachers  of  the  Association 

sermons,  Moderators  and  ClerkSj  ir.ust  neces- 

sarily be  dispensed  with. 

DOVKR  ASSOCIATION.    1783. 

JiVover 

1773 

G-  fothland 

ij"'  i 

R.  Ford 

Hopeful 

1807 

R.  Ford 

ChkLt  hominy 

1776 

B   Bowles 

H  olivary 

1791 

B.  Reynolds 

Gity  of  Richmond 

1780 

J  .  Courtney 

Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


519 


CkUTtlut. 

Cm:*, 
luted. 

Mm  tilers. 

'Boar  Swamp 

Fout  Mile 

T.  Lindsev 

Chaties  City 
B.ack  Creek 

1776   W.  Cloplon 
1777   J.Turner 

Jjmcs  City 

'773 

VVilliarr.iburg 

1791 

Giafton 

777    T  Gayle 

H.imptoa 

•  79'    R.  Hurst 

Reeds 

1773    J.Self 

Tuckaho 

'774  J.  Sorrei 

Salem 

18021 

U.  Collflge 

'77.5 

1.  College 

17Q2    J    Mill 

I'   per  King  and  Queen 

•  774  T.  N'»el 

Bruniiigton 

1790 

R  B.  Scmple 

Exol 

'775 

I   Lewis 

Lower  King  and  Queen 

1772 

W.  Todd 

Pocorone 

1^07 

J.  Heaiey 

Upper  Eisex 

1772 

Pucataway 

'774 

T.  Greenwood 

Glebe  Landing 

1771? 

j  .  Ltwis 

Hermitage 
Zo«r 

178; 
1808 

Gloucester  or  Pettswonh 

17^ 

A';ingdon 

iHoi 

R.  Sr*cy 

Mathews 

'775 

W.  Fnchet 

Hanover 

1789 

J.  D^vis 

N<>mt-ny 

178^) 

H.  Toler 

Faroham 

l"'yO 

Wicomocs 

1804 

S.  Straughn 

Moiatico 

l/78 

vS.  Straughn 

Churches  37 

Ministers  34                             Total 

GOSHEN  ASSOCIATION.    1791. 

Waller's 

17% 

A.  Waller 

Mine's  Road 

1791 

H.  Pend.eton. 

Craig's 

1707 

E.  AbH 

Paney  Branch 

'7«Q 

H  Goodloe 

III  <«saponax 

1788 

A.   Waller 

"\Vilikrnes* 

1778 

E.  Ely 

Guineas 

'774 

A.  W..:ier 

F'Cdericksburg 

,803 

A.  Broaddus 

Zoar 

1803 

County  Line. 

1782 

A.  Waller 

B  :hel 

1800 

A.  Broadd* 

Bnrrus'i 

'773 

A   Broaridus 

William*'* 

E.  PurringtO» 

Linking  Hole, 

1776 

L.  Page 

Thomson's 

'770 

W.,  Wal'er 

Roundabout 

1791 

J.  P  'indexter 

Stanat's 

'777 

H  Goodloe 

Little  River 

1791 

W.  Cook 

N.  Fork  Pamunkey 

'774 

Churches  to. 

Ministers  It                              Total 

MlDDLB   DlSTR  U  T    AsSOCIATON. 

Kottoway 

1769 

17  ** 

Powhaian 

1-71 

MutWy  Creek               , 

1-4 

S.  Woorlfiii 

Skiwuari&r 

If  76 

C,  Fwrsce 

Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


Churekes. 

Conifl. 

Ministers. 

Uttd. 

Tomahawk 

1777 

W.  Fiournoy 

Spring  Creek 

1790 

Chesicrfield 

'773 

E.  Clay 

Salem 

1802 

T.  Lafon 

Chuidies  8 

Ministers  5 

Total 

ROA.VOKE  ASSOCIATION. 

1788. 

Calawba 

»773 

P.  Hurt 

BuSaloe 

1770 

C.  Hubbard 

Mayo 

»774 

R.  P.cket 

Wynn's  Creek 

»773 

Hunting  Creek 

»775 

T*)'  Dobson 

Musierfiold 

1779 

L.  B^ker 

Childry 

1783 

T.  Jenkins 

Millstone 

1:87  'J.  Jenkins 

Arbour 

'78,5  J.  Atkinson 

Polecat 

'7QO    ].  Atkinson 

Miry  Creek 

»«03 

C.  Lovelace 

Liberty 

l8o2 

Dan  River 

1802 

C.  Lovelace 

j  2  Corner 

1803 

C.  Hubbar 

Mowing  Fold 

.78. 

R.  Dabbs 

Buffalbe 

1778 

B   Izzei 

Scnfca 

1804 

N.  Lovelace 

Mill  Church 

J77ol  E.  Dtid&on 

Upper  Bannister 
County  Line 

•778 

1771 

W.  Blair 

Birch  Creek 

1787 

Union 

1789 

D   N'>w!en 

Bennett's 

1795 

J.  Jonkins 

Whitethorn 

J79' 

W.  HopgooS 

Lower  Bannister 

«7<).3 

J.  Jenkins 

Stink'Hg  River 

1800 

G.   Dickerson 

Shockoe 

1803 

D.  Now  leu 

J)  ub!e  Creek 

1803 

Zton's  Hill 

1807 

J.  Vv'arner 

Stewart's  Creek 

W.  Blair 

Churches  30 

Ministers  17. 

Total 

PORTSMOUTH  ASSOCIATION 

•     1790 

Pungo 

i  "n>2 

J.  Lawrence 

Black  Water 

J78^ 

W.  Sorey 

London  Bridge 

1784 

R.  Rittcr 

Norfolk 

1804 

Portsmouth 

1789 

Upucr  Bridge 
Shoulder's  Hill 

178', 
'78,5 

D.  Casey 
T.  Bunting 

\Ves:ern  Branch 

'779 

T.  Punting 

Soath  Quay 

!78.5 

T.  Bowers 

Black  Creek 

1786 

W.  Browns 

Mehernn 

1788 

W.  Browne 

Tuckei's  Swamp 

1807 

H.  Jones 

Sea  Cock 

"787 

W.  Browne 

.Racoon  Swamp 

1772 

W.  Browne 

High  HilU  of  Nottoway 

1787 

W.  Chambless 

SappoQy 

Mill  Swamp 

'773 

»77-l 

W.  Browne 

Otter  Dams 

J79' 

B.  Bcoihc 

Kowanty 

J775, 

Davenport's 

/ 

Churches  co 

/                   Ministers  10 

Total 

Table  of  Associations  and  Churches* 


Churches. 

Cmtl- 
IMed. 

Ministers. 

ALBEMARLE  ASSOCIATIOV.    1701. 

Albemarle 

1767 

/  j 

1   Watti 

Totier 
Prithis  Creek 
Hephzibah 
Whitesid^s 
Buftaloe 

Ebenezer 

i  •  i  * 

177.5 
'784 

1783 
1773 

M.  Dawson 
M.  Dawson 
VI.  DJWSOH 
B  Burgher 
I    Young 
W.  Duncan 

Lile's 

FnrL- 

1798 

W.  Basket 

A  UI  IV 

»774 

G.  Anderson 

Churches  9 

Ministers  7                                Total 

Bethel 
Thompson's  Gap 
Crooked  Run 

1803 
1787 

1772 

CULPEPPER.  ASSOCIATION.    1791. 
W.  Mason 
W.  Fristoe 

Mount  Ponev 
F.  T. 

*//  *• 

1774 

W.  Mason 

Gourd  Vine 
Fiery  Run 

1791 

1771 

W.  Mason 

Battle  Run 

1773 

Rappadan 
Robinson  River 
Blue  Run 
Carter's  Run 

f  f  W 

'773 
1790 
1769 
1768 

W.  Mason 
R.  Jones 

Goose  Creek 
Mill  Creek 
Smith's  Creek 
Lost  River 
Lunie's  Creek 

'799 
1772 

'774 
1784 

1777 

J.  Koones 
J.  Koones 
A.  Moffet 
J.  Koones 

Lynvil's  Creek 

*   /  / 

T.  Koones 

Churches  18 

Ministers  5                             Total 

APPOMATTOX  ASSOCIATION.    1804. 

Lower  Falling 
Ebenezer 
New  Chapel 

1792 

f.  Weaiherford 
Ed.  Johns 
Ed.  Johns 

Staumon  River 
Culb  Creek 

1804 

177' 

R.  Dobbs 
B.  Todd 

Ash  Camp 

1803 

Eocks 
Appomattox 
Sailor  Cret  k 
Mountain  Creek 
Buckingham 
Providence 

1772 

'773 
1781 
1788 
1771 

'774 

?.  Matthews 
J.  Sounders 
A.Wa.kin 
A.  Miller 
R.  Chastain 

Wreck  Island 

1784 

\V.  Flowers 

Union 
Slate  River 

1786 
1805 

J.  L.  Abraham 
I.  Garret 

Sandy  Creek 

J.  Scurry 

Churches  16 

Ministers  13 

The  number  of  five  churches  is  not  put  down. 
According  to  Sample,  the  sum  total  of  the  As- 

sociation m  1809,  wa» 

MEHERRIN  ASSOCIATION.     1804. 

Sandy  Creek 

.78 

W.  Rirhaids 

AHc'n'i  Creek 

1791 

^.  Dibhs 

Blue  Stcne 

'•V.  Richards 

Maloanc's  or  Geneto 

'773 

W.  Creath 

VOL.  2.                           66 

522 


Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


Churches. 

Coma- 

Ministers. 

lu.ed. 

Wilson's 

1799 

W.  Creath 

Meherrin 

1771 

J.  Shelburne 

Reedy  Creek 

'775 

J.  Shelburne 

Cedar  Creek 

1775 

Tussekiah 

'777 

W.  Ellis 

Flat  Rock 

1805 

J.  She  iburne 

Cat  Banks 

1789 

P.  Wynn 

Harper's 

1773 

P.  Wynn 

Tamcs's 

W.  Creaih 

keedy  Creek 

1776 

W.  Dossey 

Fountain's  Creek 

1787 

VV.  Gainer 

Zion 

1806 

W.  Creath 

Churches  16 

Ministers  8                              Total 

ACCOMACK   ASSOC  IATION.       l8o8. 

Pungotcague 

179® 

G.  Lavfidd 

Matompkin 

1/85 

G.  Lay  field 

Chingoteaque 

1786 

T.  Waters 

Massongo 

•779 

T.  Waters,  J.  Benston 

Lower  Northampton 

.778 

T.  Elliott 

Hungo's 

'783 

j.  Elliott 

Mashapongo 

1807 

A.  Fisher 

Churches  7 

Ministers  5                               Total 

MAYO  ASSOCIATION.     1798. 

No  Minutes  of  this  Association  have  been 

obtained,  either  by  Mr.  Sempleor  the  author, 

nor  any  definite  account  of  its  number.     From 

the  best  information,  it  is  a  body  of  moderate 

size.     We  shall  estimate  its  churches  at  12, 

its  ministers  at  8,  and  its  sum  total  of  mem- 

bers at 

STRAWBERRY  ASSOCIATION.     1766. 

Goose  Creek 

VV.  Leftwich 

Little  Otter 

'797 

J.  Moorman 

Otter 

J.  Anihony 

N.  F.  of  Otter 

G.  Ruckcr 

Staunton  River 

J.  Black 

Beaver  Dam 

1801 

J.  Burnet 

Suck  Spring 

805 

Timber  Ridge 
Difficult 

180.5 

I.  Fuqu?.y 
A.  Week 

Buffaloe 

Hock  Spring 

804 

Mill  Creek 

80  .j 

Gill's  Creek 

W.  Turner 

Chapel 

I.  Pedigo 

Bethel 

804 

J.  Ashwo 

Black  Water 

804 

\V.  Turner 

Pig  River 

773 

J.  Pedigo 

Snow  Creek 

f.  Pedigo 

Snow  Creek  &  Pig  River 

J.  Ashwonk 

Smith's  River 

f.  Pedigo 

Jack's  Creek 

80  ] 

S.  Hubbard 

Leatherwood 

772 

J.  King 

Beaver  Creek 

I.King 

Burton's  Creek 

806 

J.  Anthony 

Churches  24 

Ministers  14 

The  sum  total  of  this  Association,  according 

to  Mr.  Serfiple,  was,  in  1809, 

Table  of  Associations  and  Churcfas. 


52$ 


Churches. 

Coniti- 

Ministers. 

tilted. 

NEW  RIVER  ASSOCIATION.     1793- 

Bethel 

1774 

T.  Polack 

Salem 

1784 

\V.  Howard 

Greasy  Creek 
N.  F.  ol  Roanoke 

'-89 
1801 

R.  Jones 
I.  Rentfro 

West  Fork 

1803 

J.  Jones 

Pine  Creek 

1803 

P.  Howard 

Sinking  Creek 

1796 

J.  Stanley 

Catawba 

1780 

Meadow  Creek 

•785 

W.  Howard 

Churches  9 

Ministers  7                              Total 

GREEN  BRIER  ASSOCIATION.     1807. 

Green  Biier 

J78l 

J.  Alderson 

Big  Levels 

1796 

J.  Osbournc 

Taze's  Valley 

l8o3 

J.  Lee 

Mud  River 

1807 

J.  Lee 

Kenhnwa 

1796 

Cole  River 

1807 

J.  Lee 

Peter's  Creek 

•803 

E.  Hughes 

Indian  Creek 

I7Q2 

J.  Ellison 

Blue  Stone 

1804 

Churches  9 

Ministers  5 

The  sum  total  of  this  Association,  according 

to  Mr.  Semple,  was,  in  1809, 

UN  ION  ASSOCIATION.     1804. 

Simpson's  Creek 

1775 

J.  H.  Goss 

Buchanan 

1786 

f,  Carney 

Good  Hope 

l8o6 

J.  Waldo 

Olive  Branch 

1803 

P.  Wells 

West  Fork 

J.  Hickman 

Salem 

l8ol 

J.  H.  Goss 

Union 

i8oa 

P.  Wells 

Val  lev- 

1806 

P.  Wells,  S.  Harris 

Little  Bethel 

J795 

P.Weils 

Piitchel's  Creek 

1786 

J.  Hickman 

Pawpaw 

1805 

T.  Martin 

Sandy  Creek 

1798 

J.  Smith 

Gethsemane 

1803 

Churches  13 

Ministers  7                               Total 

By  these  Minutes,  it  appears  that  the  number 
of  pastors  in  the  churches  they  represent  is 

but  about  160;  but  Mr.  Semple  supposes  there 
arc  as  many  ministers  in  this  State  as  churches, 

which  would  make  the  sum  total  283. 

A  very  extensive  revival  was  experienced 

in  some  of  the  Virginia  Associations  in  18  1  1, 

and  onward.    Elder  William  Brame,  in  Nov. 

1812,   wrote  to    Dr.   Baldwin   as   follows  : 

"Twenty-five  hundred  have  been  added  to 

ihe  Dover  Association,  upwards  of  looo  to 

the  Goshen,  abcut  400  to  the  Albemarle, 

about  600  to  the  Roanoke,  and  a  considerable 

number  to  the  Appomattox."*     Other  ac- 

counts make  mention  of  large  additions  to  the 

churches  in  the   lower  parts  of  this  State. 

We  may,  I  think,  safely  calculate  that  5000 

*  M.  B.  A/.  Mag,  vol.  iii.  p.  276. 

Table  of  Associations  and  Churches, 


Churches. 


Cmill- 
tuted. 


Ministers. 

members  have  been  added  to  the  Virginia 
churches  since  1809,  which  would  make  their 
sum  total  stand  thus :  Associations  i6,Churchcs 
283,  Ministeiss83,  Members  35,164. 

There  are  besides,  in  this  State,  a  number 
of  churches  belonging  to  the  Mountain,  Hols- 
ton,  and  Redstone  Associations,  which  will 
be  reckoned  under  their  respective  heads. 


North-  Carolina. 

K.EHUK.E  E  ASSOCIATION.     1771. 

Held  at  Mearn's   Chapel,  October  5,   i8tN 

Sermon  by  Richard  Dabbs. 

Conoho 

«794 

Benjamin  Joyner 

Conetoe 

1803 

Cross  Roads 

1786 

Jonathan  Cherry,  William  Hyman 

Conoconary 

Concord 

James  Ambrose 

FallsTarRivcr 

757 

Fishing  Creek 

755 

Philemon  Bennett 

Flat  Swamp 

776 

Luke  Ward 

Great  Swamp 

795 

James  Ewcll 

Kehukee 

755 

Lawiencc,  M.  H. 

Joshua  Lawrence,  Ecn.net  Barrow 

Maiteinuskeet 

783 

John  Bowen 

Morattock 

79  » 

Amariah  Biggs 

Maple  Spring 

793 

William  Lancaster,  Henry  Hunt 

Mcarns'  Chapel 

Moore's  M.  H. 

Old  Conoho 

Pungo 

Poplar  Spring 

«793 

Quankey 

1799 

Macallister  Vinsor 

Rocky  Swamp 

'774 

Jesse  Read 

Ready  Creek 

»755 

Moses  Bennett 

Sandy  Creek 

'774 

Scuppernong 

1785 

Skewarkey 

1787 

Joseph  Biggs 

Smithvrick's  Creek 

1803 

Abraham  Tic: 

Sappony 

Jordan  Sherrod 

Sou  in  Mattemuskeet 

Green  Carrowan 

Tiantei's  Creek 

Williams's  M.  H. 

Bowler  Mar  low 

Churches,  30 

Ministers  21                             Total 

Philemon  Bennett,  Moderator. 

Joseph  Biggs,  Clerk. 

Moses  Benntut,  Assist.  Clerk. 

NEUSE  ASSOCIATION.     1794. 

Held  at  Chinquepin  Chapel,  Oct.   19,   1811. 
Sermon  by  William  P.  Biddle. 

Blount's  Creek 

Hadnot's  Creek 

1789 

Jabez  Weeks 

Nrw  Port 

1778 

Nortk  River 

Core  Creek 

1791 

Qoose  Creek 

1704 

Newberrj 

John  M'Cabe,  William  P.  Bidd!= 

Table  of  Assidatiom  and  Churches. 


525 


CnurcAes. 

Swift  Creek 
Toisnot 
Town  Creek 
Winstwd 
Little  Contentny 
Chinquapin 
White  Oak 
Bear  Creek 
Braver  Dam 
Sandy  Bottom 
Hancock's 
Red  Banks 
Black  Creek 
Naughunty 
Pleasant  Plains 

Churches  22 


Cenill. 
uttd. 

1784 

'7j?6 
1780 

1791 


1790 


1758 
17*3 


Beaver  Dam 

Big  Swamp 

Levingstori 

Lock  wood's  Folly 

Seven  Creeks 

Cape  Fear 

Beat  Marsh 

Muddy  Creek 

Limestone 

Nahungo 

Bull-Tail 

Wilmington 

Chapel  Run  ^ 

Southwest 

Everitt's  M.  House  * 

Ash-Pole 

Saddle-Tree 

Cohary 

Seven  Miles 

Miiigo 

Thunder  Swamp 

Bear  Swamp 

Hornet's  M.  House 

Churcljes  23 


Aboskey 

Bertie 

Ballard's  Bridge 

Bethel 

Bethiehem 

Camden 

Cashie 

Cowenjock 


Ministers. 


1779 

'792 
1756 


1788 
»759 


'773 
1781 


«757 
1771 
1780^ 


David  W/itiford 
Thomas  Dupree 


John  Kdtrett 


Ncedham  Whitfield 

Ministers  8  Total 

Samuel  Simpson,  Moderator. 
William  P.  Biddlc,  Clerk. 

CAPS  FEAR  ASSOCIATION.     1805. 

Held  at  Nahungo  Meeting-House,  Oct.  5, 
181 1.     Sermon  by  Job  Goodman. 


Job  Goodman 

Benjamin  Davis 
Job  Thigpen 
Jacob  Williams 


Silas  Carter 


Fleet  Cooper 
David  Grantham 
Jeremiah  Tue 


Ministers  9  Total 

Joseph  Thames,  Moderator. 
Samuel  Buxton,  Clerk. 

CHOWAN  ASSOCIATION.    1806. 

Held  at  Wiccacon  M.  House,  Bertie  County, 
May  3,  1811.     Sermon  by  R.  Poindexter. 
Hillary  Morris 
Richard  Poindexter 


Aaron  Spivey,  William  Dossey 


526 


Table  of  .Associations  and  Churches. 


Church*. 

Conoritsey 

Elizabeth 

Mcherrin 

Middle  Swamp 

Outlaw's  Chapel 

Powel's  Point 

Pottecasy 

Ross's  Meeting-House 

Ramoth  Gilead 

Roanoke  Island 

Salem 

Sawyer's  Creek 

Wiccacon 

Yoppim 

Roanoke 

Churches  23 


Neal's  Creek 

Rocky  Springs 

Union 

Cross  Roads 

Hollcy  Spring 

Cool  Spring 

Pleasant  Spring 

Bethel 

Union 

Mill  Creek 

Middle  Creek 

Fellowship 

Hay  wood  M.  H. 

Cedar  Fork 

New-Hope  Mountain 

Liberty 

Hepzibah 

Little  BufTaloe 

Churches  18 


Tanner's  M.  H. 
Tabb's  Creek 
Tar  River 
Grassy  Creek 
Lock's  M,H. 
Prichard's  M.  H. 
Knoe  M.  H. 
Camp  Creek 
Cedar  Crrek 
Nense  M.  H. 
aloe  Creek 

Churches  11 


tutcj. 

•798 
1794 

1787 


•789 
1775 


1792 


'775 
»789 
1762 


Ministers. 


Thomas  Weymouth 
John  Wall 

Motes  Gil  lam 

James  Wright 
James  Ross 


John  Nowel 


Ministers  9  Total 

Aaron  Spivey,  Moderator. 
Richard  Poindcxter,  Clerk. 

RALEIGH  ASSOCIATION.     1806. 

Held  at   Union  M.  House,  Wake  County 

Nov.  9,  1811.     Sermon  by  J.  Laurence. 
Nathan  Gulley 
J.  Gulley 

Zadock  Bell 


Robert  T.  Daniel 

John  Pemifoy,  Bartholomew  Fuller 

L.  Caudle 


Ezekiel  Trice 
H.  Harmon 


W.  Wall 

Ministers  lo  Total 

Bartholomew  Fuller,  Moderator. 
Simon  Stephensbn,  Llerlt, 

FLAT  RIVER  Assoc  IATI  ON.     1794. 

Held  at  Enoe  M.  House,  Orange  County, 

Oct.  4,  1811.     Sermon  by  T.  Gardner. 
Thomas  Gardner 


Thomas  Vass 
Roland  Cooke 

James  Ferrel 


James  Weathers 
Balaam  Erell 

Ministers  6  Total 

Thomas  Gardner,  Moderator. 

George  Brasfield,  Clerk. 


of  Associations  and  Chun  fas. 


527 


Chujches. 

Caniti- 

Ministers* 

lutid. 

COUNTRYLINEASSOCIATION.    l8o6. 

Held  at  Lower  S.  Hico  M.  House,  May  30, 

1812.     Sermon  by  William  Moore. 

Upper  South  Ilico 

1792 

Country  Line 

1783 

Barzillai  Graves,  Richard  Martin 

Lyrch's  Creek 
Lick  Fork 

1792 

John-  Sanders,  James  Jones 
George  Roberts,  David  Lawson 

Flat  River 

'777 

Lower  South  Hico 

»793 

William  Brown 

Deep  Creek 

Stony  Creek 

1787 

Unity 

William  Moore 

Wolf  Island 

1777 

B;idge  M.  H. 

Churches  11 

Ministers  8                             Total 

George  Roberts,  Moderator. 

Nathan  Williams,  Clerk. 

SANDY  CREEK  ASSOCIATION.     1756. 

Held  at  Abbot's  Creek  M.  House,  Brown 

County,  Oct.  1809. 

Abbot's  Creek 

1777 

George  Pope 

Lick  Creek 

Bear  Creek 

»79i 

M'Leudon's  Creek 

New  Hope  Mountain 

Hezekiah  Harmam   . 

Old  Fork 

Tewe  Buckner 

Richland  Creek 

John  Gilbert 

15uff;iloe 

Timber  Ridge 

1788 

Fall  Creek 

tsaac  Teague 

Sandy  Creek 

757 

Rocky  River 

Rocky  River  (Anson) 

776 

John  Culpepprr 

Bethlehem 

O,ven  Slaugh-er 

Fork  of  Little  River 

Mouth  cfUhary 

780 

Pee.  Dee 

785 

Daniel  Gould 

Croigs'i  Creek 

William  Br.i-.it  !y 

Churches  18 

Ministers  9 

The  churches  in  this  Association  make  no 

re;urns  of  their  numbers.     Those,  which  are 

>ut  down,  I  ascertained  while  among  them  in 
he  Spring  of  1810.     Of  seven  churches  no 

coircct  accounts  could   be  obtained.     They 

will  probably  average  65  each,  making 

Total 

George  Pope,  Mcderator. 

William  Brantly,  CUr.i. 

YA  D  K.  I  N  As  S  O  C  I  AT  I  O  N'  .       1  790. 

Fiat  Rock      ' 

William  Cook,  William  B;ittin 

Deep  Cicek 

777 

oseph  Murphy 

Island  Fo'd 

Richard  Cunningham 

Providence 

'obn  Meglatnie 

Brier  Creek 

781 

Vv'illiam  Mastin 

Cub  Creek 

Roaring  River 

779 

Ouo!  Spring 

•Vadrew  Car.adsy                                               . 

528 


Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


Churchet. 

utcd. 

Ministers. 

Cttn, 
muni' 

ami. 

Eaton's  M.  H. 

Bear  Creek 

1791 

Brumley  Cooker 

Fork 

1793 

Benjamin  Buckner,  John  Pots 

Jersey  Settlement 

17.58 

Grassy  Nob 

1789 

John  Angell 

New-Hope 

Little  River 

1787 

William  Dodson 

Salem 

Churches  16 

Ministers  12 

This  was   the  state  of  this   Association  in 

1810.     It  does  not  print  its  Minutes,  nor  do 

the  churches  give  any  account  of  their  num- 

ber.    They  will  probably  average  50  mem- 

^__ 

bers  each,  making  a  total  of 

boo 

MOUNTAIN  ASSOCIATION.     1799. 

Nine  of  its  constituent  churches  were  dismiss- 

ed trom   the  Yadkin.     They  do  not  print 

their  Minutes,  and  for  some  reason  have  de- 

clined giving  any  account  of  their  affairs. 

We  shall  estimate  them  at  12  Churches,  8 

__ 

Ministers,  and  Members 

600 

FRENCH  BROAD  Assoc  i  AT  ION.  1807, 

if 

Held  at  French  Broad  Meeting-House,  Bun- 

combe County,   Aug.  22,  1812.     Sermon 

by  Thomas  Snelson. 

Little  Ivy 
Locust  Old  Fields 

Moses  Freeman 

44 
73 

New-Found 

Thomas  Snelson 

89 

Caney  River 
French  Broad 

1791 

Stephen  Mo'gan 
Benjamin  King,  Sion  Blyth.    Jere.  Taylor 

23 
4l 

Cane  Creek 

Humphrey  Posey 

40 

Mud  Creek 

Joseph  Byeis 

3l 

Bethel 

Permenter  Morgan 

42 

Flat  Creek 

4° 

Mountain  Page 

William  Kimsey 

22 

Churches  lo 

Ministers  to                             Total 

455 

Stephen  Morgan,  Moderator. 

James  Whitakcr,  Clerk. 

Charleston 

Welsh  Neck 

Ebenezer 

High  Hills  of  Santee 

Chcraw  Hill 

Beauty  Spot 

U.  F.  Lynch'*  Creek 

Mount  Pis«.>h 

L   F.  Lynch's  Creek 

Rockey  River,  N.  C. 

Deep  Creek 


•  6% 


1-82 

:782 

'774 

,7*4 

.787 
17SO 


South-Carolina. 

CHARLESTON  ASSOCIATION*     1751. 

Held  at  the  High  HiUs  of  Santee,  Oct.   31, 

1812      Sermon  by  Joseph  B.  Cook. 
R  crwrd  Fur-nan,  D.  D. 
D.miel  White 
Benjamin  M.wrley 

JohnM   Roberts,  A.  M.  Davis  Collins 
John  Ellis,  James  M'Kcllar 
William  Bennct 

Joseph  B.  Cook,  A.  M. 

George  Whitlfy 

Frame  Woods,  Joel  Gullage, 


226 

193 

45 

337 

s 


Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


529 


Churches. 

:»n;<!- 
uled. 

Ministers. 

Little  Pedee 

79° 

S.  Reaves 

Georgetown 

794 

Edmund  Botsford 

Gapway 

7/6 

Henry  W.  Hodges 

Lane's  Creek 

793 

Jesse  Lewdlin 

Congarce 

176? 

Stephen  Nixon 

Black  Creek 

1799 

James  Coleman 

Three  Creeks 

i?Q3 

Wassamsaw 

1784 

XVateree  Creek 

1803  Ralph  Jones,  Asa  Bell 

Muddy  Creek 

Catfish 

TerreFs  Bay 

William  Palmer 

Beulah 

1806  George  Scott 

Mile  Creek 

1  807  Aaron  Wooton 

Amelia  Township 
Lynch's  Creek 

1808  James  Thigpen,  William  Pauling 
S.  Timmons 

Columbia 

1809  John  G<r>de 

Camden 

1  8  1  o  IV.  Brazington 

Calvary 

1810   Bradley  Khame 

Piedmont 

1810    }.  Knighten 

Bethel 
Goose  Creek 

1810 

Washington  Belcher,  James  Benson 
Matthew  M'Cullers 

Mount  Olivet 

J.  Lay  ton 

N^w-Providence 

Charles  Williams 

Churches  35 

Ministers  35                            Total 
Davis  Collins,  Moderator. 

Joseph  B.  Cook,  Clerk. 

EDGEFIELD  Assoc  IATION.    1808. 

Held  at  Callaham's  Mill  M.  House,  Sept. 

>9» 

1812.     Sermon  by  Willis  Whatley. 

Horn's  Creek 

1787 

J.  Landrum,  S.  Marsh 

Antioch 

Stephen  Williama 

Providence 

Little  Stevens'  Creek 

James  Head 

Cambridge 

Robert  Marsh,  Daniel  Williams,  Alex.  Travis 

Big  Stevens'  Creek 

WiliisWhatley 

Cloud's  Creek 

1791 

Thomas  Deloach 

Salem 

Henry  King 

Siloam 

Good-Hope 

Chesley  Davis 

Drv  Creek 

Callaham's  Mill 

'783 

Plumb  Branch 

Mountain  Creek 

John's  Creek 

James  Dodgen 

Sard  is 

Joseph  Kin* 

Red  Bank 

1784          ~ 

Mill  Creek 

Johp  Bolger 

Buffaloe 

1786 

Leave  Is 

James  Woodward! 

Willow  Swamp 

Cedar  Creek 

Dean  Swamp 

Rosemary 

Sister  Springs 

Bethany 

Liberty 

Chesnut  HiU 

Gilgal 

Meunt  Moriah 

Flat  Rock 

Francis  Wa!kc«- 

VOL,  2.                          67 

530 


Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


Churc'its. 

Mount  Horeb 
Long  Cane 
Bethany   at  the    Re- 
publican 
R«ck  Spring 
R<  cl-O..k  Grove 
Hollow  Creek 

Churches  37 


Fairfoiest 

Page-t's  Cicek 

Pacolate 

Upper  Duncan  Creek 

Lrwjr     ditto 

Bcihel 

Sandy  River 

Bush  River 

Enorte 

Uo.-k  Creek 

Oatawba 

Sugar  Creek 

Mil!  Creek 

Bnhabara 

Red  Bank 

Hopewfll 

Bushy  Creek 

B;-t!i(chera 

Lit  !c  River 

Philadelphia 

Durbau'-i  Creek 

Lower  S^ndy  River 

New  H  >pe 

Head  Cedar  Shoal 

Holly  Spring 

Union 

St.-rn's  Creek 

Gi!ead 

Tinker  Creek 

Unity 

Seek  we  11 

Piedmont 

Faufidd 

'Beaver  Dam 

New' Bethel 

Hebron 

Churches  36 


Canrti- 
tuteJ. 


1765 


1786 


Ministers. 


Enoch  Braziel 
Joseph  Brown 


Elisha  Palmore 

Ministers  19  Total 

Samuel  Cartledge,  McdtraLr. 
Robert  Marsh,  Clerk. 

BETHEL  ASSOCIATION.     1789. 


at  SuK^f  Creek  Church,  York  District, 
Oct.  i,  1808.     Sermon  by  Thomas  Grcer. 

Thos.  Greer,  Thomas  Ray,  Hosea  Hoicombe 


Henry  R.  Roland 


1776 

1760  Charles  Crowe 


1780 
1788 
1792 


1791 
1781 


Big  Cr.~ek 
Sh:vii  Church 
Mount  Pisgah 
Ebeaezer 


John  Rookcr 

Samuel  M'Creary 
David  Golightly 


Daniel  Solison 
Spencer  Bobo 


Hugh  M°ore 

Ellas  Mitchcl 

Joseph  Bdbb 


Minis'^r.  13  Total 

nas  Greer,  Moderator. 
John  M'Creary,  Clerk. 

SALUDA  ASSOCIATION.     1803. 

Held  at  Hop  \.c  !,  An,;.  12,  1809.     Sermon 
by  Jamei  neinbree* 

j;ci  Holland 
Isaiah  Stephens 


Table  of  Dissociations  and  Churches » 


531 


Churches. 

c""a-  \                               Ministers. 

lutid. 

Keowce 

•791 

Foik-Shoal 

Joel  E.  Grace 

M:.ddic  Fork  Saluda 

»773 

Shockley  Ferry 

1  ry°   Cooper  Bennett 

Seoona 

1790 

Philip  May 

Bcthuel 

Woolynoy 

Cross-Road 

E'nathan  D.ivis 

Cathies  Creek 

Neal's  Creek 

Sanford  Vandivitr 

Salem 

James  Hembree 

Hopewe'i 

Wilson's  Creek 

James  Crowther 

Double  Springs 

v\'i;liani  King 

Hq;zibah 

Little  River 

Arthur  Williams 

Poplar  Spring 
Turkey  Creek 

.784 

Benjamin  Nonhcutt 

Green  Pond 

Churches  23 

Ministers  12 

Total 

Elnathan  Davis,  Moderator. 

Joel  E.  Giace,  Clerk. 

BROAD  RIVER  ASSOCIATION. 

1800. 

He'd  Oct.  18,  1811.  Scimonby  Wm 

King. 

P  rienclship 

George  Brewton 

Green's  Creek 

Jonathan  Blackwell 

Boiling  Spring 

Sandy  Run,  N.  C. 

1788 

D.  Dobbins,  Jonathan  Padj:  tt 

Buffdloe,  N.  C. 

»777 

Green  River,  NT.  C. 

1778 

Joel  Blackwell 

Cedar  Spring 

Joroyal  Barnctt 

Mountain  Creek,  N.  C. 

17«9 

Bill's  Creek,  N.  C. 

1782 

Jonathan  Dahon 

State  Line 

Z.  Blackwell 

Buck  Creek 

»779 

Long  Creek 

Silver  Creek,  N.  C. 

Head  of  Ty£«r 

1793 

Nathaniel  Jackson 

Head  of  Euoree 

1787 

Bethel 

P.  Morgan 

New-Sale  m 

D.  Doyle 

N.  Catawba  River.N.C. 

Providence,  N.  C. 

Elbethel 

Concord,"  N.  C. 

Smyrna,  N.  C. 

A.  Cailton,  Timothy  S/ii 

S.  Catawba  River 

/?.   Johnson 

Ehenezer 

].  H-v-fecl 

Double  Spring 

W.  K-ng 

Goucher  Creek 

J.  Richards 

Churches  26 

Ministers  17 

Total 

Jotoyal  Barnett,  Moderator, 
W.  Lancaster,  Clerk. 

532 


Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 
Georgia. 


Churches. 

c°»>'i-\                               Ministers.                               \  C°K: 

tuUii.   1                                                                                                               1  munj- 

<•««»». 

SAVANNAH     RIVER    ASSOCIATION. 

i8ce.  —  Held  at  Sunbmy,  NOV.  21,1812. 

Sermon  by  \Vrm.  B.  Johnson. 

Savannah 

l8oo 

William  B.Johnson,  Thomas  F.  Williams 

98 

Newington 

John  Gildwire,  Thomas  Polhill 

J^* 

22 

Savannah,  tst  coloured, 

1788!  Andrew  Marshall 

Ditto,  ed  coloured 

1802  Henry  Cunningham 

505 

Grear  Ogechee,   col-  ? 
cured                         J 

1803  George  D.  Sweet 

v      *J 

453 

Black  Swamp,  S.  C. 

1786 

Hezekiah  A.  Boyd 

j._ 

P:P?  Creek^S.  C. 
Coosawhatchie,  S.  C. 

1755 

John  Ycumans 

'52 

150 

Healing  Springs 

o 

Columbia 

78 

Sprr.g  Town 

i. 

Barn  we  11,  S.  C. 

Darling  Peepla 

CQ 

Lower  Black  Creek 

1802 

Jy 
30 

Upper  ditto 

f 

OJ 

Powers'  M.  House 

Nicholas  Thomas 

Euhaw,  S.  C. 

1746 

James  Sweat 

41A 

Mount  Hope 
Sunbury 

1806 

William  B.  Villard,  Gideon  Hagood 
Charles  O.  Screven,  A.  M. 

21 

Great  Salt  Catcher,S.C. 

1790 

28 

Treadaway 

46 

Cowpen  Branch 
Beaufort,  S.  C. 

1804 

William  T.  Brantly,  A.  M. 

J 

17 
476 

Little  Suit  Catcher,  S.C. 

1789 

i/  ** 
32 

Lower  ditto 

Union 

James  Wilson 

IO3 

St.  Helena,  S.  C. 

1809 

John  Lugg 

1Q1 

May  River 

•f 

169 

Arnon 

Chusches  28 

Ministers  21                            Total 

rq^7 

Charles  O.  Screven,  Moderator. 

Oo*"^ 

William  T.  Brandy,  Otrk. 

It  is  believed  that  more  churches  are  in 

South-Carolina  than  are  marked  for  that  State; 

but  1  am  not  able  to  distinguish  them. 

GEORC  IA  Assoc  lATioK'.     1784. 

Held  at  Fishing  Creek,  Oct.  9,   1813.     Ser- 

mon hy  Jesse  Mercer. 

Kiokee 

1772  A.  Marshall,  D.  W~.  Man/iaU,  J.  N.  Brown 

221 

Fishing  Creek 

17$3  James  Matthew* 

1  J3 

Greenwood 

1781 

4Q 

PhiliprtMUl 

1785  J.  Robertscn 

T:/ 
120 

Vhailey's  Mill 

17^5  Jesse  Mercer 

193 

Powciton 

1786, 

165 

Long  Creek 
Hebron 

1786 
1786 

Adam  Jones,  Thaddeui  Camp 

" 

v  «o3 

Ebenezer 

1787 

David  Ellington 

12^ 

Rocky  Spring 

,787 

66 

\Vil    ..ns'  Creek 

•  787 

120 

Clark's  Station 

1  788  1  William  Davis 

56 

Sardii 

1788 

M.  Reeves 

Fort  Creek 

1790 

Q5 

Mount  Olives 

1790 

g  . 

Springfield,  (Af.) 

1791 

Robert  M'Gec 

c,M 

Island  Creek 

1794 

"(-<•> 

Newford 

Shiloh 

\Vyib  Jaekscm 

110 

Table  of  Associations  and  Churches* 


533 


Churches. 

Caniti- 
luted. 

Ministers. 

Richland 

1796 

Edmund  Shackleford 

County  Line 

1797 

Sharon 

1799 

Ncwhope 

1800 

Bethel 

1802 

Beard's  M.  H. 

1802 

Bethel  (Hancock) 

1803 

Benjamin  Thompson,  David  Cook 

Double  Branches 

1803 

James  Landers 

Rehoboth 

i8o5 

White  Plains 

1806 

Union 

1807 

Grove 

1808 

John  Blackston 

Union  (Warren) 

1809 

Henry  Harden 

Red's  Creek 

Horeb 

Center 

Churches  35 

Ministers  19                             Total 

Abraham  Marshall,  Moderator. 

Jesie  Mercer,  Clerk. 

HEPHZ  IBAH  Assoc  IATION.     1794. 

Held  at  Nevill's  Creek  Meeting-House,  Bul- 
lock County,  Sept.  24,  181  1.     Sermou  by 

Charles  Culpepper. 

Sardis  (Burke  Co.) 

Darien 

C.  Bateman,  James  St:-e!v 

Sweet  Water 

1788 

Winder  HiJman,  E.  Ferryman 

Poplar   Spring  (Lau-  > 

ren's  Co.)                  > 

Rocky  Creek 

1787 

Thomas  Tipwn 

Bethel  (Jefferson  Co.) 

Big  Sandy  Creek 

Beaid's  Cieek 

Bark  Camp 

1788 

Buck  Head 

1786 

Ohoopie 
NeviH's  Creek 

1792 

John  Stanford 

Salem 

Isham  Peacock 

Lott's  Creek 

David  Hennisy 

Fellowship 

Norvell  Robertson 

Little  Brier  Creek 

1777 

Bethany 

Poplar  Spring  (Wash-  ) 

ington  Co.)               ) 

Bethlehem 

A.  Armstrong,  Benjamin  Manning 

Wood's  M.  H. 

Providence 

1788 

Union  M.  H. 

Cool  Spring 

Samuel  Pouncey 

Mob  ley's  Pond 

Henry  Hand 

Botsford'sM.  H. 

1773 

Jordan's  M.  H, 

George  Franklin,  Jordan  Smith. 

Scull's  Creek 

Beulah 

Silver  Run 

Buckeye 
Biuihy  Creek 

1791 
,789 

Charles  Culpepper 
BenjaminS.  Scrcten,  David  Owen 

Mount  Horeb 

Little  Ogechee 

1790 

Pendleton'i  Creek 

Churches  34 

Ministers  18                             Total 
George  Franklin,  Moderator. 

Noivell  Robertson,  Clerk. 

Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


Churckc*. 

fumi. 

Ministers. 

SAR  EPTA  Assoc  i  A.TIOX.     1798. 

Htld  at  Fork  of  Broad  River,  Madison  Coun- 

ty,   Oct.   24,  1812.     Sermon   by  Dozier 

Thornton. 

Mori  all 

1800 

Liberty 

1804 

Conoross 

1798 

John  Cobb 

Fork  Broad  River 

Leather  wood 

Beaver   D,^,m    (Ogle-? 
thorpe  Co.)               ) 

,800 

Isham  Goss 

Grove  Level 

1802   Reuben  Thornton 

Van's  Creek 

1784 

Doziei  Thornton,  J.  Chipman,  J.  Thornton 

Mar's  Hill 

1799 

Black's  Crc-ek 

803 

fames  Rilev 

Skull  Shoal  (Madison) 

'^03  [Timothy  Carrington 

Cabin  Cretk 

1/97 

Thomas  Johnson 

Hope  we  1 

1808 

Academy 

1804 

Chandler's 

1802 

Bart  emus  Renolds 

Bethel  (Jackson  Co.) 

1805  ;Met-.ty  White 

Falling  Creek  (Elbert) 
Line  M.  H. 

1802 

Littleton  Meeks 

Eastanallec 

1810 

Nacy  Mecks 

Beaver  Dam  (Elbert) 

1800 

Double  Branches 

1801 

John  Sandidge 

Cedar  Creek 

1803 

John  Cason 

Dovt's  C-ei  k 

•  785 

Walnut  Foik 

1801 

Michatl  Emnct 

Salem 

1785 

Miller  Bledsoe 

Skull  Shoal  (Greene) 

1801 

Bethany 

1788 

Noah  Lacy 

Holly  Spring 

1796 

Thomas  Maxwell 

Big  Creek 

1801 

Avalon 

1803 

Jacob  Bankston 

Chogia 

1783 

.h>hn  Cleaveland 

Nail's  Creek 

'797 

Sttphcn  Poe 

Tiail  Creek 

i/gh 

Isaiah  Hails 

Mill  Stone 

1788 

Lower  Nail's  Creek 

1806 

Bethlehem 

1802 

Beach  Creek 

1801 

Isaac  Busson 

Cr-jokcd  Cieek 

1803 

Cloud's  Creek 

1788 

Ocoaee 
Hunter's  Creek 

1812 

James  Rorlgers. 
Francis  Calloway 

Churches  41 

Ministers  26                               Total 

Over  t\velve  hundred  received  this  year  by 

baptism. 

Dozier  Thornton,  Moderator. 

Lham  Goss,  Clerk. 

OCKMULGEK  A    sOC  TAT  I  ON.       j8tO. 

Held  at  Shoal  CrreU,  R^nd^ipli  C.-  uniy,  Sept. 

5,   1812.     Sermon  by  Henry  Hooton. 

Antioch 

Buck  Cr  ek 

1701 

Betluaida 

/  J 

Htnry  Smith 

County  Line,  Rarxjo'ph 
Conc^id                         | 

JOR!  Willis 
'M.  Lowery,  J.  Read 

Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


535 


Churches. 

*£* 

Ministers. 

Crooked  Creek,  Putnam 

Elijah  Moseley 

Elira 

Henry  HootOii,  Edmund  Talbot 

Falling  Creek,  Randolph 
Fishing  Creek 

1782 

Joseph  Baker,  William  Ellis 

Freeman's  Creek 

Flat  Shoals 

Ho'.land  Spring 

Isaac  Suttle 

Indian  Creek 

1788 

Lewis  C.  Davis 

Litt'e  River 

Divid  Montgomery 

Mount  Ncbo 

Wi!ie  Shepherd 

Mount  Moriah 

Micajah  Fulgeham 

Mount  G'U'ad 

Jain.s  Brookv,  Frederick  Crowder 

Murder  Creek 

JonarliHii  Nichols 

New-Providence 

ffcnrv  Gra%g 

Providence 
Pope's  Meeting.House 

1788 

Green  Bailey,  Jacob  Mercer 

Philippi 

Eden  Taylor,  Elhha  Rogers 

Ramah 

Rooby  Creek 

Salem 

John  Dingier 

Sugar  Creek 

Jonathan  Anderson,  John  Walker 

Sandy  Creek 

Stone  Creek 

Theophilus  Pierce 

Shoal  Cieek 

Tirzah 

Francis  Fiournoy 

Trail  Branch 

Union 

Nipper  Adams,  John  Barrett 

Walnut  Creek 

Reuben  M'Elroy,  Wi.iiam  Jones 

Churches  33 

Ministers  31                              Total 

Joseph  Bnker,  Moderator. 

William  Williams,  Clerk. 

Tennessee. 

HOLSTON  ASSOCIATION.     1786. 

Held  at  Lick  Creek,  Greens  County,  August 

1809.     Sermon  by  Joshua  Keily. 

Big  Creek 

1787 

Fran.-is  VVinstead 

Biackwater 

Double  Spring 

Thoaiis  M'Caia 

Long  C-eek 

Glade  Hollow 

Mockason 

Cherokee 

17*3 

John  Bayl'ss 

Buffaloe  Ridge 
Bent  Creek 

1787 
17^.5 

Jonathj-i  .\Iu:kej',  Jonathan  Buck 
Caleb  Witt 

M  Plu'rten's  Bent 

Sulphur  Spring 

Big  Pigeon 

Joshu  i  Kelly 

Meadows 

George  Brown 

Gap  Creek 

Andrew  M  Far  land 

Mill  Creek 

Flag  Branch 

St.  C^aii's  Bouom 

Jdhr.  Tones 

Fiick  Creek 

Blagrove  Hopper 

Churches  18 

Ministers  it                              Total     I 

Jonathan  \fulkey,  Moderator, 

Philip  Hale,  Ci.rk. 

1^13 


Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


Cfiurc/us. 

luted. 

Ministers. 

Co*. 
muKl. 

ca:.s, 

WA  s  H  i  x  c  T  o  N  ASSOCIATION'. 

Of  this  Association,  I  have  learn?  nothing 

nore,  than  that  it  was  formed  from  the  Hoi- 

ton,  probably  in  i8ti.      I  shall  compute  its 

:hurches  at  12,  its  ministers  at  8,  and  us  total 

lumber  of  members,  at 

600 

TENNESSEE  ASSOCIATION.     1802. 

Held  at  the  Forks  of  Little  Pigeon,  Sevier 

County,  Oct  14,  1809.    Sermon   by  Rob- 

ert Ffistoe. 

Gap  Creek 

William  Jones 

126 

County  Line 

34 

Beaver  Ridge 

Thomas  Hudeburgh 

59 

Rob  Camp 

38 

Thompson's  Settlement, 

TO 

(Lee's  County,  Va.) 

O 

Buckhorn  Valley 

20 

Scquachce  Valley 

% 

Glade  Spring 

49 

Hindi's  Creek 

27 

Powel's  River 

i? 

Little  Flat  Creek 

so 

Hickory  Creek 

William  Jo/'tnson. 

43 

E-  Fork  of  Pcplar  Creek 
Big  Spring 

West  Walker 

f 

64 

Bcyd's  Creek 

William  Johnson 

25 

Tennessee  Valley 

TV  1       ,-»V»T 

10 

murpnj 

Bethel  South 

David  Bar  toil 

3o 

War  Creek 

38 

Tuckalecb.ee 

isrum  Guin,  Henry  Haggard 

59 

Dumplin  Creek 

5«> 

Coal  Creek 

John  Weldon                                                    « 

jfi 

French  Broad 

1786 

Duke  Kimbrough 

S6 

Richland  Creek 

Robert  Fristoe 

fi5 

Cumberland  River,  Ky. 

1.53 

BufFaloe  Creek 

John  Hall,  John  Condley,  Thomas  Broun 

iuB 

Big  Barren 

.53 

Stock  Creek 

1789 

Aaron  Smith. 

24 

Fork  of  French  Broad  ) 
?nd  Holston             $ 

Thomas  Hill 

25 

Forks  of  Little  Pigeon 

1789 

Richard  Wood 

179 

Davis's  Craek 

V 

33 

Churches  30 

Ministers  18                             Total 

153^ 

Richard  Wood,  Moderator. 

Francis  Hamilton,  Clerk. 

CUMBERLAND    ASSOCIATION'.        1803. 

The  following  Tab!e  represents  the  state  ol 

this  AiKioation,  Sept,   i8ic:.     This  state- 

ment v-.s  fonv.uded  in  MS.  by  a  corntni'tec 

appointed  for  :!ic  purpose.   Who  preached 

the  ser;r.vn  does  not  appear. 

Big  Harpeth 

Garner  M*Conico 

26.-, 

Barton's  C'eek 

Supplied  by  Holloway  I\'orris 

3S 

Bear  Creek 

Supplied  by  Dariiel  White 

33 

Big  Creek 

Supplied  by  Eider  Fonquay 

60 

Reathei  foul's  Creek 

John  A-kerson      , 

77 

Cartbey's  Creek 

James  M'Caleb 

109 

Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


Churcha. 

C.a-.i'i- 

Ministtrt* 

tutrd. 

Cedar  Lick 

M  ire  Stevenson 

Fountain  Creek 

Eb"nezer  R-ce 

Grassy  Spring 

I'homas  M.trrin 

T  T             • 

Hcrncan 

Vo'cn'ine  Flowers 

Head  of  Piney 

Supplied  by  Thomas  Marril 

Herrican  Cr:-ek 

Holloway  Morris 

Lt-per's  Fork 

Pmey 

Andrew  Coio:l»ers 

Richland 

John  DillapU'ity 

Richland  Creek 

"797 

Supplied  by  Elder  Kirk'and 

Rock  Creek 

John  Rickord 

Turn  bull 

D.tniel  White 

White's  Creek 

<79t 

Joshua  White 

Yellow  Cr-rk 

John  Turner 

EastFofkYellow  Creek 

Gray's  Bend 

Sprinkley's  Creek 

Churches  23 

M;nisfcrs  16                             Tc;<<! 

There  are,  bes'des,  7  unordr.ined  nnnistcrs 

whose  nam"s  are  not  mentioned. 

AdJed  this  year,  icHi  m^in,  ?rs. 

G-:n.:-r  M'Co.-iiiic'-.  Modera&t* 

William  Denson,  Cle,k. 

RED  RIVER  ASSOCIATION.     i3c6. 

Held    nt   M'F.n'nyl's   Fork  of  Pond  River, 

Christ's  )  C^un'y.  Kentucky,  Aug.  18:2. 

Sermor  by  R  ,.">ti.  Ro»s. 

Red  River 

1791 

Supg  Ford,  Ej.Vaiir:  P(.O! 

Half  Pone 

17^9 

J.  Sh-  •  rrs,  C::.'flr  'Vintttrs 

Blooming  Grove 
Dry  Cr.ek,  Kentucky. 

1805 
1805 

Jc:iah  Ilo-n,  J"hn  V\'ail,  James  Yarborougfi 
Dudley  \Vi!!i2ms 

West  Fork  Red  Riv-  ) 
er,  Ky.                       J 

tRo| 

Jesse  Brooks 

Muddy  'River,  Ky. 

1798 

Lewis  Moore,  Leonard  Page,  Wm.  A:nrr:!I 

Elk  Creek 

1805 

:     nes  Hrynes 

Mount  P.  L.  River,  Ky. 

,807 

Aar.m  C.t,r>,p;^n 

Dry  F.  E.  Creek,  Kv. 
Muddy  F.L.  River,  Ky. 

.807 
1806 

Henry  D?rnall,    J.hnGrastv 
F.  Woif,   7  li-n  jr>ra'afl,  Wj'liiam  Beadly 

Goshen,  Ky. 

180.5 

A.  Harris,   !cs'':  F^rd 

Spring  G.  W.  Fork 

itfotf    Reuben  Ross,  I.  Totwinc 

Euriy  Grove,  Ky. 

i~;.;    Daniel  Brown 

Salem,  Ky. 

180.5 

Cub  Creek 

1809 

Dike's  Cnrk,  Ky. 
Sinking  Creek,  Ky. 

1803 
1808 

John  Bcnb'ooks,  M.  Walton,  Jacob  Mirris 
C.  Wi'.liarns 

Big  C,r.:k 

1806  j 

Sulphur  Fork 

1810 

John  Tri&e,  Thomas  Plaister,  Lewis  Wells 

Sp>  I)..,  C.  R.  River 

18.0 

Barton  Coires.  Jfsse  Masr.n 

Ew  F.  P.  River,  Ky. 

1^04 

William  Tarom 

Bethel 

1806 

\Vr.son  Th(  mpson,  James  P.  Edwards 

Tywappety 
L->:u>  Creek,  Ky. 

1810 

Asher  Skehon,  Htnry  Garrard 

BTrre.i  Spring 

F'at  Creek 

1803 

J.  Bnurlanrl,  Thomas  Hill,  Reuben  Omen 

Bethel 

i8u 

W.  Henderson 

N.'V  Hope 

Centre 

Cyprus 

Provid-nce,  Ky. 

1812 

Saline  Creek 

iBifl 

Thomas  Ross.  N.  Ross,  Asa  Birzs 

Hurricane  Creek                1812    J.French 

VOL.  2.                            68 

538 


Table  df  Associations  and  Churches. 


Churchei. 

Flat  Uck,  Ky. 
Whipporwill 
New  Bethel 


rti. 
lute*. 


Churches  30 


East  F.  Stone's  River 
Smith's  Fork 
Brush  Cieek 
Bethel 

Betlvl,  Branly's  F. 
Hickuian's  Creek 
Salt  Lick  Creek 
West  Station  Camp 
East  Station  Camp 
Dixiou's  Creek 
Salem 

Hurricane  Creek 
W.  F.  Stone's  River 
Concord 
Overall's  Creek 
Head  Red  River 
Round  Lick  Creek 
Arri'igton's  Creek 
Blcdsoe's  Creek 
Mill  Creek 
Mouth  Cancy  Fork 
Spring  Creek 
Testament 
Pay  ton's  Creek 

Churches  24 


Bethel  Mulberry 
Bethlehem 
Boiling  Fork 
Hope  we  1 1 
Elk  River 
Flint  River 
Union 
New-Hope 
Garrison  Folk 
Jones's  Fork 


1797 


Ministers. 
John  Mallory,  Absalom  Ccpt.'and 


Ministers  48  Total 

Over  900  add.  i  this  year. 

Rfi-Ser  Ross,  Moderator. 
William  Aingell,  Clerk. 

CONCORD  ASSOCIATION.     1810 

He'd  at  Hopewdl,  Sumner  County,  Sept.  c6, 

1812.     Sermon  by  John  Wiseman. 
TLw.-is  Motion,  David  Gordau 
Joshua  Lester 

M.  Landrone 

Micajah  Hoi  11$,  D.  Webb 


James  Brigcncc 

J .  Rucks,  John  Wiseman 
C.  Bethel 


John  M'Cane 

C.  Riddle,. Btnja.mii  Jackson, 
T.  Durham,  John  Borrum 
George  Tihuan,  P.  Mooney 

D.  Parker 
James  Whitsett 


Total 

Th"  number  added  this  year  was  866. 
The  ministers  in  this  Association  not  delegat- 
ed to  it  this  session,  are,  Jesse  Allen,  John 
Dorris,  Miles  West,  Gay  M'Fadden,  James 
Saunders,  Jno.  Beasly,  Jno.  Warner,  Win. 
Flowers,  Daniel  Burfoid,  am)  John  Jones. 
Licensed,  John  Warren,  Picssly  Lester, 
and  Jacob  Archer;  making  in  all  32. 

John  Wiseman,  Modnator. 

James  Wbitsett,  Clerk. 

ELKRIVKR  ASSOCIATION.     1808. 

Held  at  Union  Mceting-House,  Bedford  Co. 
Oct.  1812.     Sermon  by  Peter  Woods. 

D.ivid  Adams 

William  Jennings,  John  Davis 

George  Foster,  A.  Hargin 

Jeremiah  Bowers 
Reuben  Kelly 
William  Kecle 


Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


539 


Churches. 

West  Fork 
Big  Flat  Creek 
Bethel  on  Flint 
Meridian  Line 
Mountain  Creek 
Barren  Fork 
VV.  F.  Mortis'*  Creek 
Limestone 
Stewart's  Creek 
Bcen'g  Creek 
Liberty  M.  H. 
M'Caiier's  Creek 
Tucker's  Creek 
Union,  Gilts  Co. 
New  Coastitu'ions 
Salem 

Sugar  Creek 
Kelly's  Creek 
Zion,  Giles  Co. 
Big  Hurricane 
Forks  Mulberry 

Churches  31 


Ccnili. 
tulfti. 


Ministers. 


Ezekiel  Craft 
Thomas  Clark 
John  Leakey 

Thomas  Obanion 

Peier  Woods,  Andrew  Woods 

John  Betcw 


H.  Holman 

Ministers  16  Total 

The  number  added  this  year  was  1059. 
David  Adams,  Moderator. 
George  Foster,  Clerk. 


Kentucky. 


• 

El.KHO  RN   ASSOCIATION.      1785. 

Held  at  the  Great  Crossings,  Scott  County, 

Aug.  1811.    Sermon  by  Davis  Biggs. 

Tate's  Creek 

1785 

Clear  Creek 

'785 

South  Elkhorn 

1785 

John  Shaklcford 

Great  Crossings 

James  Suggett 

Town  Fork 

1786 

Jacob  Creaih 

Bryan's 

1786 

Boon's  Creek 

1786 

Forks  of  Elkhorn 

1788 

William  Hlckman 

Indian  Creek 

1792 

Isaac  Monson,  Davis  Biggs 

Mount  Moriah 

M'ConrrePs  Run 

Mouth  of  Eikhorn 

Mountain  Island 

Siias 

North  Elkhorn 

Glenn's  Creek 

Jonathan  Edwards 

Dry  Run 

North  Fcrk 

Ciover  Bottom 

Hil'sborough 

David's  Fork 

Jeremiah  Vardeman 

Mount  Pleasant 

Mount  Gilcad 

Ambrose  Bourne 

Union 

Long  Lick 

Beaver  Creek 

Bethlehem 

N.  Fork  of  Licking 

Churches  28 

Ministers  8                            Total 

Robert  Johnson,  Moderator. 

Charles  Buck,  Clerk. 

£40 


Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


Churches. 


Tate's  Creek 
Biyan's 
Eiit  Hickman 
Dry  Run 
Bru.h  Fojk 
Raven  Creek 
Stony  Point 
Flat  Lick 
Elk  Lick 
Mill  Creek 
Rock  Bridge 
Boon's  Creek 
sd  Town  Fork 
Mount  Carmel 
Little  Huston 
Forks  of  Silas 
Ray's  Fork 
Poplar  Gtove 

Churches  18 


Washington 
May's  Lick 
Bracken 
Stone  Lick 
Lct-'s  Creek 
Ohio  Locust 
Rich!  and  Creek 
Licking 

Forks  Salt  Lick 
Johnston 
Wi'sun's  Run 
Three  Mile 
Cover 

Mouth  Fleming 
Licking  Locust 
C,dar  H-:il 
Soldier's  R^n 

Churches  17 


BulliUsburg 

Mouth  of  Lacking 
Fork  of  Licking 
Four  Mile 
15?  -k  Lick 
Dry  Creek 
Middle  Creek 
Mud  Lick 


J785 
1790 


'794 
'794 
1795 

1-7G/) 

iPci 
1800 

1803 
1894 


A/Knitters, 

LICKING  ASSOCIATION.    1809. 

Held  at   Bryan's,   Sept.    1812.     Sermon  by 
John  Conner. 

Ambrose  Dudley 
J.  Price 
Joseph  Redding 
Jonathan  Barnett 

Lewis  Corbin 
Richard  Thomas 

John  Conner,  Bartlett  Ecmiet 
A.  Bainbridge 


James  Payne 

Ministers  9  Total 

Ambrose  Dudley,  Moderator. 
John  Price,  Clerk. 

BRACKEN  ASSOCIATION.     1798. 

Held  at  Wilson's  Run,  Sept.  3,  1809.    Ser- 
mon by  Baldwin  Clifton. 
William  Payne 
Baldwin  Clifton 
John  King 

Charles  Anderson 
JosHa  Singleton 


Jilson  Hambrick 
James  Johnston 

Stephen  England 
John  Parsons 


Ministers  9  Total 

William  Payne,  Moderator. 
William  By  ram,  Clerk. 

NORTH  BEND  ASSOCIATION. %    1802, 

Held  at  Mud  Lick,  Boonc  County,  Sept.  25, 

1812.     Sermon  by  Davis  Biggs. 
Absalom  Graves,  ChichattT  Matthew* 
John  Beal 
AlexnnderMunroe 
John  Stephens 
George  Hume 

John  Watts 
Wc&n  Slat 


Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


Churches. 

Wilmington 

Point  Pleasant 

Ten  Mile 

Brush  Creek 

Laughery 

Forks  of  Gunpowder 

Bethel 

New-Port 

Churches  16 


Spencer  Creek 

Lulbulgrud 

Salt  Lick 

Providence 

Unity 

Bald  Eagle 

Johnson'i\Fork 

Bethel 

Red  River 

Grier's  Craek 

Howard's  Upper  Creek 

Red  Lick 

Hopewell 

Long  Branch 

State  Union 

Mount  Pleasant 

Sycamore 

Cane  Spring 

Goshen 

Grassy  Lick 

St»ode's  Station 

Log  Lick 

E.  F.  F.  Creek 

Cane  Creek 

Ohio  River 

Jessamine 

Locust  Creek 

Salem 

Rock  Spring 

Churches  29 


Fork 

iJeep  Creek 
Stony  Point 
Salt  River 
Rush  Creek 
Dr. 's  Foik 
Canright's 
&ha\vny  Run 


i8c 

1 8o< 

1809 

1811 

1812 
1812 


1792 
1790 


Mittutcrsm 

Thomas  GrifHng,  John  Taylor 
William  Bledsoe 

Chiistopher  Wilson 


Ministers  ia  Total 

Thomns  Griffing,  Moderator. 
Absalom  Graves,  Clerk. 

NTORTH  DISTRICT  ASSOCIATION. 
1802.— Held  at  Providence,  County  of 
Clarke,  Oct.  1807.  Sermon  by  Robert 
R.  Hunt, 

Jilson  Payne 
Robert  Elkin 


1790  James  Quessenberry 

Moses  Bledsoe,  Francis  Taylor 

Isaac  Cratcher 
Joseph  Craig 


1792 


1789 


Wingate  Jackson 

James  Ruckcr,  Robert  R.  Hunt 


Ministers  12  Total 

Robert  Elkin,  Moderator. 
James  French,  Clerk. 

SOUTH  DISTRICT  ASSOCIATION. 
1802.— He'd  at  Stony  Point,  Mercer  Coun- 
ty, Sept.  1807.  Sermon  by  Jeremiah  Var- 


7> 

de: 
Randolph  Hall 


James  Keel 
Jeremiah  Briscoe 

?.  Whitehead 
1700  Jonathan  Rice 


S42 


Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


Churches. 

M'Cormic's 
Hang.  Fork 
Ss^viT  Creek 
?!  iur.nt  R. 
Bi.fFalce  Creek 
Gilt  .en's  Creek 
Unity 

Churches  15 


Tate's  Creek 
Cedir  Creek 
Mount  Nil>o 
Viney  Fork 
Hickman 
Flat  Lick 
Sinking  Creek 
Hurricane  Creek 
CU-ar  C-eek 
White  Oak 
Boj>>:'s  Fork 
Fbt  Woods 
Otter  Creek 
Gateway's  Crrrk 
White  O  -k  Pond 
Brush  Creek 
Mason's  Fork 
Head  of  Silver  Creek 
Mount  Tabor 
Double  Springs 
Ivg  Sinking 
Goose  Cretk 
Gilead 

Churches  23 


1787 


1783 


1786 

1792 


Cedai  Creek 
Cox's  Creek 
Hardin's  Cteek 
Srii!p?nn?s  Creek 
MiH  Crerk 
I.ick  Crr,  k 
Wilson's  Cicek 
Bethel 
Krck  Creek 
Roliinp:  Fcik 
Cedar  Creek 
Severn's  Valley 
Nolin 

Beaver  Dam  Cre  k 
Bacon  Cre^k 


1790 


1/90 
17*5 
'7-9 
1791 

1787 


1789 
1782 


Ministers, 


Jeremiah  Vardeman 
Joel  Noel 


James  Rogers 


Ministers  7  Total 

Jeremiah  Briscoe,  Moderator. 
Randolph  Mall,  Clerk. 

TATE'S  CREEK  Assoc  IAT  iox.     1793, 

Held  at  Bogg'i  Fork,  Fayette  County,  Aug. 

1806,     Sermon  by  Elijah  Barnes. 
Andrew  Tribble 

Peter  Woods 

Christian  Hirris,    Joseph  Ellison 

Joseph  Hudson 


Thorns  Hill 

Squire  Boon 

David  WlClain 

Henry  brocks,  Robert  Frier,  Jess?  Winburn 

Daijid  Johnson 

Elijah  Barnes 

James  Rentfro,  John  Clark 

William  Bush 

Joel  Mathcws 


Edward  Turner 

Ministers  19  Total 

Peur  \VooJs,  Moderator. 
Stephen  Tiigg,  Clerk. 

SAI.EM   ASSOCIATION.     1785. 

Held  at  Cox's  Creek,   Nelson  County,  Oct 

j,  1810.     Sumon  by  Joshua  Morris. 
Joshua  Morris 
MOK*  Picrson 


Daniel  Walker 

Alexander  M'Dugal 

Warren  Csili,  Martin  Uttciback 


Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


Churcku. 

Ctntli. 

AKxuters, 

Cam, 

tu'.td. 

n  ur.i. 

cantt. 

Mill  Creek 

87 

Short  Cicek 

XI 

Union 

Enos  Ktitk 

45 

ftruihcn 

"0 

Churches  26 

Ministers  8                               Total 

1108 

Walter  Stallard,  Moderator. 

i 

Joseph  Lewis,  Clerk. 

LONG  RUN  Assoc  IATION.     1803. 

Held  at  Burk's  Branch,  Shelby  County,  Sept. 

1812.     Sermon  by  George  Waller. 

JVar  Grass 

178} 

68 

Brashears's  Creek 

1785 

James  M'Ouade 

loG 

Chiuoweth's  Run 

1792 

37 

Fox  Run 

Buck  and  Elk 

1794 

Reuben  Smiih,  William  Stout 

141 

Beech  Creek 

Moics  Sco;t 

170 

Hanoi's  Creek 

»797 

William  Kellar,  Thos.  White,  Benja.  Allen 

L-m.T  Ilun 

1797  j  Joseph  Collins 

.Salt  (liver 
Bethel 

j  John  Penny 
1797 

164 

Buck  Creek 

1799 

George  Waller 

107 

Six  Mile 

i  -99 

J.  Ruckcr 

Eighteen  Mile 

18  o 

86 

Corn  Creek 

iKco 

John  T.iy'or 

77 

Rock  Lick  • 

1801 

Tho  aas  Wooldridge 

3- 

Burk's  Branch 

180  j 

120 

Cane  and  Bac,k  Run 

64 

Little  Mount 

1801 

6b 

Sulphur  F  .,k 

1801 

71 

Sou;h  L-  •£  Run 

1802 

'I!  :son  Hobbs 

97 

Lick  Branch 

1802 

Ea.t  Fioyd's  Fork 

1802 

Allen  M'Giyrc 

67 

Port  William 

1800 

87 

Drennon's  Creek 

1799 

Thos.  V.iadevftr,  Elijah  Summers,  W.  Noblits 

86 

Twins 

1801 

fobn  Scoit,  VVilliain  M 

12?{ 

Drennoii's  Ridge 

1801 

1  );i:i 

SB 

Bulfaloe  Lick 

1805  Phillip  Wrbber 

South  Bensou 

1800 

William  Hick.  nan,  jr.  Daniel  Johnson 

Flat  Rock 

1805 

67 

Indian  Fork 

1806 

Abraham  Cook,  Abraham  Bohaunon 

64 

White's  Run 

1810 

27 

Plumb  Creek 

22 

Little  Flock 
Floyd's  Fork 

1810 
180  1 

Tonatnan  Stark,  David  St.irk 

15 
3° 

Beach  Ridgj 

1811 

1  ho;njs  Ma;uu 

Gosiieu 

1812 

3° 

Dover 

tSifl 

i'i 

Churches  37 

Ministers  28                             Total 

John  Penny,  M.d^r^iji'. 

John  Scoit,  Clerk. 

GRSEN  RIVER  A  ssoc  i  AT  :  o.v.     :8co. 

HelJ  2t   Dripping    Spring,   Barren  C.).   July 

18  12.     Sermon  by  Jacob  Lock. 

Mount  Tabor 

Jacob  Lock,  JohnCon'.ee 

i6a 

Sinking  Creek 

1798 

I25 

Mount  Pleasant 

1804 

60 

Green  River 

1803 

yc 

Bag's  Fork 

Samuel  Grc-thotise 

Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


Churches. 

i,  it. 

Ministers. 

Ctm. 
nwrti* 

cantj. 

Glover's  Creck 

oO? 

lalph  Petty 

58 

B.'avcr  Duin 

803 

46 

Dripping  Spring 

798     ] 

^..  Stockton 

8l 

Bethlehem 

Concord 
Puncheon  Camp 

8oO 
804 

i8ci 

£acbarias  Edmcrson 
\ug;;stin  Clayton 

1 

65 

33 

Long  Creek 

1807 

Skagg:s  Creek 
Union 

1806 

1796 

Joshua  W'dborn 
|oun  Hightower 

40 
63 

Sulphur  Spring 

,798 

4,5 

Trammel's  Fork 

1007 

Lee  All-n 

bo 

Middle  Fork 

1808 

'L.  Morris 

ic8 

Mount  Pisgah 

1809 

86 

Providence 

Edvfard  Turner 

62 

Lick  Fork 

Jonathan  Tianrr 

5-\ 

Blue  Spring 

•799 

William  Ratiirf 

79 

Dover 

'°:o    Walter  Warder 

7.5 

Centre  Creek 

Lewis  Former 

B7 

Hazel  Creek 

1797 

i';nj;-.min  Talbott 

163 

Nelson's  Creek 

1805 

40 

Sandy  Creck 

.805 

Lick  Creek 

1809 

8< 

Smith's  Grove 

1812 

37 

Beaver  Dam 

,    2:8 

Ivy 

812 

48 

Mount  Zion 

812 

3° 

Boiling  Spring 

810 

[ohn  Taylor 

18 

Churches  33 

Ministers  18                            Total 

2499 

Jacob  Lock,  Moderator. 

Walter  Warder,  Clerk. 

RUSSEL'S  CREEK  Assoc  i  AT  ION.  1804. 

Held  at  Bru-;h  Creek,  Green  C'runty,    Sept. 

1811.     Sermon  by  Isaac  Hodgen. 

Meadow  Creek 

Jo'nn  Chaudoin 

.5.5 

Brush  Cvef.k 

William  Matthews 

34 

Mount  Gilead 

Isa.K  Hodgen 

202 

Good  Hope 

John  Chandler 

20 

Trammel's  Creek 

Thomas  Skaggs 

e8 

Sion 

H.  G.  Waggoner 

336 

Lin  Camp 

Joseph  Cogdil!,   Jacob  Gum 

H 

Liberty 

David  E!kin,  James  Skaggs 

43 

Pitman's  Creek 

1701 

oj 

Q:tC)   CrC'-k 

12 

H  .-.\Y-  >•;.  l! 

9 

ST..!  Lick 

J»rl  Gcrdtn,  jenncs  Larrimor: 

S.  Fork  Nolin 

'-jj.nd  Dodge 

10 

Clm.clies  13 

Ministers  13                              Total 

Tog 

Isaac  Hcdgfn,  Moderator. 

John  Chandler,  Clerk. 

STOCKTON'S  VALLEY  ASSOCIATION 

1804.  —  Held  at  Salem,  Cumberland  Ccun 

ty,  Sept.  181  1  .    Sermon  by  William  Ray 

Clear  Fork 

J.  Denton 

85 

R  ->a-ir.£  River 

20 

B"*  Sprn" 

23 

"W-st  Fork 

4,T 

Casey's  Fv>rk 

11 

Table  of  Ass  Gelations  and  Churches. 


54.5 


Cfarokr. 

Ctr.tlt. 

Ministers. 

Cw> 

luted. 

mur.U 

cartti 

Collins's  River 

rt 

Hickory  Creek 

Big  Fork 

William   R.iy- 

3o 

Rinox's  Creek 

Lewis  Ellison 

81 

Sinking  Spring 

'9 

H-aH  of  Collins's  River 

10 

Mill  Crc-ek 

37 

Cumberland 

John  B.  Langan,  Thomas  Ray 

46 

Blackburn's  Fork 

18 

Churches  14 

Ministers  ,5                                 Total 
I'sa.ic  Den  ton,   Moderate*. 

491 

William  Wood,  Citrk. 

EMANC  IPATI  NC  Soc  IETY.     180,5. 

The  Minutes  of  this  Society  have  not  been 

received  for  four  yews  past.     We  sh:ii; 

ptite  thejn  n;  12  Churches,  12  Miaisfis,  an>J 

total  number  of  members 

300 

Tfle  sum  total  of  the  Baptists  iu  Kentucky,  ?.ccord;ng  to  the  Mini: 
ferred  to,  stands  thus  :    Associations  13,  Churches  263,  Ministers  i.j8,  and 
members 

It  will  be  observed,  that  some  Associations  arc  represented  as  they  srn.-d  a 
number  of  yean  ago.  The  author  could  not  conveniently  visit  ;jjl  the  Ai- 
sociations  in  this  extens-ve  State,  when  he  passed  through  it  in  the  winter  of 
1809  and  10.  He  obtained  the  latest  Minutes  he  could,  wrote  many  letters 
for  others,  which,  for  seme  reason,  have  not  come  to  hand, 

Messrs.  Samuel  J .  Milk  and  John  T.  Schermerhorn,  two  young  ministers 
of  the  Pedobaptist  persuasion,  in  the -summer  of  1812.  "  commenced  a  tour 
through  the  western  and  south-western  parts  of. the  United  States,  to  learn 
the  situation  of  the  people  with  regard  to  religion,  and  to  perform  missiona- 
ry- labour  as  they  had  opportunity."  In  a  htter  from  Mr.  Mills,  to  the  Trus- 
tees of  the  Missionary  Society  of  Connecticut,  we  find  among  oiber  sta:e- 
mcntsone  respecting  the  Baptists  in  Kentucky  ;  by  v.hich  it  appears,  that  in 
the  late  revivals  in  this  State,  there  have  been  great  additions  to  the  Associa- 
tions whose  late.  Minutes  we  have  not  received.  This  statement  v;.i  nur!? 
in  December,  1812,  doubtless  from  Minutes  of  the  Asiociatioiss  tor  tb?t 
year ;  and  presuming  these  gemirmcn  would  rot  exa^g^rate  the  account  of 
the  Bx-.ptists,  we  shall  give  the  present  sum  total  of  the  denomination  in  Ken- 
tucky, as  they  gave  it,  viz.  Churches  263,  Ministers*  142,  communicants 


'7,5  it 


2lGfx>t 


*  Ordained  ministers  only  are  probably  counted  here. 

t  This  statement  appears  to  have  been  made  with  candour  and  correcmcst.  It  is 
found  in  No.  67,  page  270  of  th*  Connecticut  Evangelical  MjgB/ine.  In  the 
C8;h  No.  of  the  same  work,  a  commentator  on  this  statement,  as  i:  oHcnded  at  the 
sight  ot  so  large  a  body  cf  baptized  believers  in  the  western  regions,  endeavours  to 
whittle  them  down  in  the  following  manner  :  "The  Baptists  prevail  principal,}-  in 
Kentucky.  Of  these  it  is  said  there  are  142  preachers,  263  churches,  ami  21,660 
communicants.  The  greater  part  of  these  preachers  sustain  that  character  but  par- 
t'.jvjly,  preaching  or  exhorting  us  circiuastanccsor  a  disposition  may  aiford  opp>r;u- 
mty,  pursuing  the  work  of  the  ministry,  not  as  the  business,  but  incrrly  as  ;! 
sional  duty  of  life.  A  considerable  part  of  them  do  not  preach  stater!'. y  on  the  Sub* 
b-uh,  and  '.he  greater  part  do  not  susta:n  the  ministerial  character  on  any  oth'-;  : 

the  week.  In  saying  this,  I  mean  no  imimption  concerning  their  mo; Vi  or  Ciins:;m 
character,  hut  merely  to  show  in  what  ser.K  th  y  are  :•••  be  ron.sidciqt!  as  t€  c!  C«j  <>t 
religion.  Their  churches  hn.vc  21.660  comm'.micarts.  It  is  wejl  known  to  be  the 
pr.actice  of  that  denomination,  particular')  in  tli'-  western  cour.try,  to  receive  to  their 
communion  the  gieau-r  part  of  those,  who  arc  considered  as  belonging  to  their  con- 
gregation, including  many  youths  and  children.  In  this  Dumber  \vc  runrrt  reason- 
ably include  mere  than  .r  ven  or  eight  thousand  ^r.iiiie'-.  Pr< '•  i -,,coo 
people."  Thar  is,  the  whojt  population  ofth^.  Bi^ti^in  Kentucky.  • 
congregations,  is  but  about  double  the  number  of  their  comrnur.ii.aju;>. fi  '&*• 

VOL,  2.  cy 


546 


Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


Churches. 


Duck  Creek,  fotmef- 

ly  Columbia 
Little  Miami 
Carpenter's  Run 
Clear  Creek 
Fairfceld 
Elk  Creek 
Clover  Fork 
Nine  Mile 
Pleasant  Run 
Clough  Crepk 
Lebanon 
Hopcwell 
Staunton 
Salem 

Muddy  Creek 
Middle  Run 
Berhr.l 
Mill  Creek 
Bethlehem 
Todd'sFork 
Union,  on  Indian  Creek 
Churches  21 


1790 


Ohio. 


1800 


Mimstfrs. 


1801 


MIAMI  ASSOCIATION.    1797. 

ield  at  Duck  Creek,  Hamilton  County,  Sept. 

li,  1813.     Sermon  by  Daniel  Clark. 

William  Jones 

VIoses  Frazee 
rus  Crane 


James  Lee,  Stephen  Card 
James  Abrams 
William  Robb 

John  Corbly 
Daniel  Clark 


Hezekiah  Stites 

Peter  Poyner 
Abraham  Griffiths 

Ministers  1 1  Total 

John  Mason,  Moderator. 
William  Jones,  Clerk. 

STRAIGHT  CREEK  ASSOCIATION 

Was  probably  formed  in  1812.  No  informa 
tion  from  it  has  been  received,  only  that  i 
has  opened  a  correspondence  with  the  Miami 
It  is  probably  to  the  north  of  that  body  in  thi 
State.  We  shall  compute  its  number  o 
churches  at  12,  its  ministers  at  8,  and  its  tota 
number  of  members  at 

SCIOTO  ASSOCIATION.     1805. 

Held  yt  Pleasant  Run,  Fairfield  County,  Sep 

1809.     Sermon  by  Samuel  Comer. 
Abraham  Pugsley 


Samuel  Comer,  Lewis  Sites,  Martin  Cofman 
John  W.  Loof  borough 

William  Brunda^e 


Ames 

Pleasant  Run 
OldChilicothe 
Salt  deck 
Liberty 

longs  to  the  Kentucky  breihren  to  vindicate  themselves  from  this  slanderous 
charge  ;  but  the  author  cannat 'forbear  observing,  that,  from  his  persona!  knowledge, 
it  is  in  the  main,  egregiwusly  false.  The  ministers,  who  are  said  to  sustain  that  char- 
acter  but  partial !y,  do  indeed  in  many  instances  from  nt  cessity  labour  for  their  liveli- 
hood ;  but  rt  is  presumed  they  would  not  be  afraid  to  count  sermons,  during  the 
cou«c  of  a  year,  with  the  clergy  of  Connecticut.  That  the  Baptists  in  Kemucky 
receive  to  their  communion  the  greater  part  of  their  congregation*,  children,  youth:, 
&c.  i-n  the  sense  here  intruded,  is  absolutely  untrue;  for  ihoy  ho.cl  to  the  monstrous 
tlocti inc  of  close  communion.  Like  their  brethren  in  all  the  other  States,  tbey  ad- 
mit none  asfom-municants,  whether  old  01  young,  of  theii  own  or  othji  congrega- 
tions, until  tbey  have  been  buiied  in  bnptisvn,  and  none  aie  baptized  but  such  as  give 
fetJsractory  evidence  that  their  hearts  huve  been  changed  by  giuce. 


Table  of  Associations  and  Churches. 


547 


Churches. 


Licken 
Bethel 
Tomeka 
Lemuel 


Churches  9 


Providence 

Valley  of  Aclior 

Concord 

.Sharon 

New-Lisbon 

Bethcsda 

Unity 

Carmcl 

Ilopt-\vell 

Lebanon 

Bethel 

Jefferson 

Churches  12 


1808 


1812 
1812 

1812 


Ministers. 


Isaac  M  'Henry 

Ministers  7  Total 

Nathan  Cory,  Moderator. 
Peter  Jackson,  Clerk. 

BEAVER  Assoc  IATION.     1809.* 

Held  at  Warren,   Aug.   19,    1813.     Who 

preached  the  Sermon,  doss  not  appear. 
Henry  Frazure 

Adimson  Bently,  John  Wihm 
Thomas  G.  Jones 
Thomas  Ripdon 
William  West 
Andrew  Clark 


George  Miller 

Joshua  Woodworth 

Ministers  9  Total 

*The  minutes  of  this  Association  have 
been  sent  on  sine*  the  account  of  it  in  Vol.  II. 
p.  262,  was  printed. 


Elk-Horn 
Twin  Creek 
Dry  Fork 
New-Hope 
Whitewater 
Cedar  Grove 
Mount  Bethel 
Providence 
Lawrenceburgh 
Indian  Crrek 
West  F.  Whitewater 
Churches  1 1 


Indiana  Territory. 

WHITE  WATE  R  ASSOCIATION.  1809. 

Held  at  Logan  Township,  Dearborne  Coun- 
ty, Aug.  15,  1812.  Sermon  by  William 
Tyner. 

Lnzarus  Whitchead 

William  Williams 


1802 

1807 

1807 

180,5 

1808! 

1808 

1807 

181.0 

1811 


1806 
1806 


Joshua  Palmer 

William  Tyner,  Lewis  Deweese 

John  Caldwell 

Ezra  Ferris,  Santud  M'Mittan 

William  Wilson 

Ministers  7  Total 

Lewis  Deweese,  Moderator. 
Ezra  Ferris,  Clerk. 

SILVER  CREEK  ASSOCIATION.  1811. 
No  Minutes  of  this  body  have  been  receiv- 
ed. Its  churches  are  9,  its  ministers  probably 
5,  and  the  total  number  of  its  members  \ve 
bhall  compute  at 

WAJBASH  ASSOCIATION.    1809. 
Held  at  BeAel,  Knox  County,  Oct.  co,  1810- 

Sermon  by  George  Waller. 
Jonathan  Ruk't 
Samuel  Jones 


548  Table  of  Sabbatarian  General  Conference. 


CAuic&es. 

Pat oka 
Salem 

Ma'ia  Greek 
Clear  F.  P'j,eon  Creek 
i  6 


Salem 
New-Hope 

Bethel 
Ebenezer 


Pierre 
San 

T  vt  1-ork 

,L.  \\  iiiii 

rpiho 
Moon  Bluff 

1     a'.a  rm 
CV.T  CiCfk 
Pirice'sCwek 


Mourn  N  :bo 

AJVkan  Church 

CharcUes  20 


Ministers. 


Jaiivs  M<.riin 
Is-;1!  M'Coy 
Sttpficn  Sin, 

Miiiisters  6  Total 

Alexander  Devin,  Moderator. 
William  Polke,  Clerk. 
*  There  is  a  mistake  in  ihe  number  of  this 
Associarion  in  Vol.  II.  j>.  263. 

Missisippi  Territory. 

M  :  i  s  :  s  i  P  P  i  ASSOCIATION-.     1807. 

H?ld  at  Rayou  P.c-rre,  Ciaibonrne  County, 
Oct.  16,  1813.     Sermon  by  George  King. 


MosrsHadley,  Ezckiel  O'Quin 
Ezra  Courtney 
Hen  i')  Humble 
Jos-ph  SiocmA,  John  Lee 
Jeuak  1'lower 
L.  Scarborough 

Thomas  Mercer,  Isham  Kettles,  G.W.King 
Robert  Smith 
Howel  Wall 


cers  13  Total 

\i.)ses  H^dley.  Moderator. 
George  W.  King,  Clerk. 


Com. 
muni- 
cant  i. 

30 
3° 


cf.'i.  R  I. 
Nev;p-.:      R    I. 
s.  I- 

P  N-  J- 

.lord.  C:>n 
,fo.  .  Con. 
.  si .  Y. 
i?      K."  id.  X.  Y. 

. ;.; ,  N   Y. 
Lr.  -f'-.^k,  Va. 

.  W. 
Salem,  N.  T. 

Churches  12 


GEXERAT.    COXFER- 
ES<:     — :i  Id  at   Cohansey,    N.  J.  June 
ic,  :  3 1 '.,.     c  .  vmon  by  Gideon  Wooden. 
-      iman 

ik,  Arnold  Bliss 
i 

-!>on  Wood-n 

Ijavid  Rogers,  Jabcz  Beebe,  jun. 
1780' 
1780 .  William  Satti-r'.ee 


88 

.  35 
0028 


17/7   Henry  C  a;fce 
180$  I  David  Davis 
j  John  Davis 

John  Davis,  Elder  of  both  Churches 
Jacob  Ayers 

MinisrcTs  12  Total 

John  D*v-s,  Moderator. 
Jacob  West,         lrifYt, 
Lewis  Tmworth,  J 

.is  Conference,  at  its  last  session  u-as  not  fu'i  :  no  infornuti^o 

rom  a  numer  or  Churches  was  received  I  h^.ve  made  out  (he  statement  of  ihe 
Pasrors,  and  the  numb^i'  of  Chute!  rs,  ffpon'the  Minu:csvGi  1808,  and  from  accounts 
fcccived  from  individuals  from  diScrs.-ut  parts. 


The  delegation  to 


Table  of  Unassociated  Churches. 


549 


Churches, 


Yarmouth 

Argyle 

Shelhurne 

Shephcrdy 

City  of  St.  Johns 

Isle  of  St.  Johns 


UNASSOCIATED  CHURCHES. 
Ministers. 


Churches  2 1 


Enstport 
Narr  i 
East  Bay 
Cape  Rosia 


Churches  20 
Brentwood,  N,  H. 

Milford,  N.  H. 
Holiis 


Manchester 
ad  Shaftsbury 
Wallingford 
West  Clarendon 
East  Clarendon 
Mount  Holly 
Hart  land 
Waterbury 
White  Hall 
West  Haven 


Churches  lo 


Tisbury,  Martha's  V. 

Indian  Church,  Gay 

Head,  Martha's  V. 


"mill, 
tuled. 


NOVA  SCOTIA  &  NEW  BRUNSWICK. 
Harris  Harding     • 


1807 

1806 :  Enoch  Tower 

— — —  Newcomb 


There  are  besides  these,  about  15  churches  in 
iota  Provinces  unassociatcd,  making  19, 
whose  number  has  not  been  obtained. 
There  are  probably  belonging  to  them,  10 
ministers ;  and  they  may  average  35,  mak- 
ing a  total  of 

Ministers  13  Total 


1810 


1771 

1809 
1791 


DISTRICT  OF  MAINE. 


Henry  A.  Clarke 


This  was  the  state  of  these  churches  in  1810. 
There  were,  at  that  time,  in  this  District,  16 
other  churches  not  associat-d.  I  conclude 
the  number  is  not  less  now.  There  asay 
be  in  them  8  ministers,  and  we  shall  com- 
pute them  at  25  each,  making  a  total  of 

Ministers  9  Total 

Samuel  Shepard,  Eliphalet  Merrill,  Jonathan 
Thing,  Jabtz.  True^  Henry  Vcasy 


VERMONT. 


1781 

1780! 
1780 


1794 


1780 
Old 


Calvin  Chamberlain 
Cyprian  Downer 
Randal 
Tinkham 


computed  at 


William  M'Culler 

Daniel  Packer 

Timothy  Grow 

Ezra  Butler 

Miller 

Pallium 

Besides  the  ministers  named,  there  are  belong- 
ing to  these  churche*,  Elders  Parker 
Reynolds,  I*cmy  Chamberlain,  Bab- 
cock,  and Carpenter.  Mr.  Rowley 

supposes  that  in  the  five  churches  of  East 
and  We«  Clarendon, Whitehall,  Wa-1  ling- 
ford,  and  Weit  Haven,  are  about  400  mem- 
bers, which  will  leave  to  be  added 

Ministers  14  Total 

MASSACHUSETTS. 
Thomas  JcfFer  computed  at 


550 


Table  cf  Unassociated  Churches. 


Ckurcha. 

Gomtt- 

Ministers. 

Cam- 

tuttd 

inunl. 

jst  Swansea* 

1663 

Abner  Lewis 

c*n  i. 
9° 

Dighton 

1772 

Silas  Hall,  A.  M.  David  Newman 

1,50 

Beilingham 

£5 

jst  Ashfie'ld 

I76l 

Enos  Smith 

150 

oA   A  cK£#»1/4 

1788 

T  j-trt..^.!. 

v>on  W3  V 

1788 

3* 

Shelburne 

5786 

David  Long 

170 

Whately 

1789 

7° 

Bernardston 

1789 

3° 

Rnwe 

20 

Springfield 

1811 

William  Hubbard 

^30 

Churches  13 

Ministers  lo                            Total 

1060 

RHODE-ISLAND. 

1st  Newport 

1644 

Michael  Eddy 

250 

4th  Newport 

1788 

William  Moore 

7,5 

1st  Tiverron 

1685 

Benjamin  Peckharn 

J74 

North-Providence 

Ruins  Teft 

3° 

Coventry 

Snpplied  by  Amos  Wells 

35 

Foster 

1789 

John  Hammond 

35 

Coventry 

c* 

100 

Foster  &  Sterling 

1812 

Josiah  Bennet 

3,5 

Churches  8 

Ministers  9                              Total 

"?34 

CONNECTICUT. 

Ash  ford 

»774 

Frederick  Wightman 

120 

Willington 

1780 

David  Li  i  abridge 

40 

Prc'ron 

180} 

ico 

40 

ad  Suffield 

1805 

Caleb  Green                              computed  at 

ico 

Wintonbury 

1786 

Ashbel  Gillet 

4° 

Middletown,  U.  Houses 

1  800 

8° 

Wilton  and  Ridgefidd 

1811 

4° 

Churches  8 

Ministers  4                             Total 

£1* 

Ns\V-YORK. 

Fayette  Street,  city 
Mulberry  Street,  do. 

1791 
1809 

John  Williams,  William  Pieice 
Archibald  Maelay,  Benjamin  Ashley 

375 
soo 

Union              do. 
Mount  Pleasant 

181  j 
1790 

Sylvian  Bij'otat 
Stephen  S.  Nelson,  A.  M. 

25 
90 

Great  Nine  Partners 

'779 

Ministers  not  known,  computed  at 

100 

Poughkeepsie 

1807 

Lewis  Leonard 

40 

Mexico 

Gamaliel  Barns 

49 

Twin 

1812 

Stephen  Parsons 

60 

Clarence,  H-  Purchase 

1811 

Salmon  Bell,  computed  at 

r.o 

Chennngo,  Gitene  Co. 
iirryrfca 

Jedu.  Grav,  —  —  Kellogg,  Hoicorobe 
John  Mud'ge 

150 

"b 

Berides  these  there  are,  not  far  from  the  St. 

L?\vrence  Association,  in    the  Holland  Pur- 

chase, and  neap  the  Chenango  River,  the  lo 

following  churches,  which  have  no  ministers, 

viz.  Black  Lake,  constituted  in  1809,  Rtissel, 

1809.    Malonc,    1807,    Osvegatchic,    1809, 

Cambray,  1811,  Poultncy,  Vernon,  Batavia, 

1812,    Caneidea,    1812,    and    Edor,     l8ia. 

They  probably  contain  about  20  each,  mak- 

ing a  total  of 

roe 

Chqrches  st 

Minister*  14                           Tota' 

1334 

*  If  ought  to  have  been  mentioned  in  the  history  of  this  church,  that  it   has  a 

farm  worth  four  or  five  thousand  dollaft,  besides  about  a  thousand  dollars  in  ftjnds. 

Table  of  Weekly  Communion  Churches,  &c.          551 


Churchts. 

Barriston,  L.  Canada 
Sutton,  do. 

Hatlcy  &  Stanstead,  do, 
St.  Armand,  do. 


Wyoming,  Pcnn. 

Covenant  Independent 
Baptist  Churches, ! 
Pa.  five 


V 


1801 


Churches  194 


Ministers. 


Roswell  Smith 

William  Marsh 


Th.e  three  last  churches  formerly  belonged 
to  the  Riviimond  Association,  and  this  was 
their  state  in  1810. 

David  Ditnock,  Griffin  Lewis,  Joe]  Rogers,  > 
computed  at  $ 

Dr. Thomas  He/sey  and  others  to  the  nura-  ) 
her  of  five  ;  toiul  number  of  members  > 
computed  at  ) 

OH  10. 

In  1809,  there  were  in  this  State  45  churches 
not  Associated.  The  nurr.bcr  has  probably 
much  increased  since  that  period.  We  shall 
estimate  them  at  30,  their  ministers  at  15,  and 
"heir  average  number  at  30,  making  a  toial  ol 

By  information  from  correspondents  there 
are  a  number  of  churches  in  the  new  settle- 
ments in  Mew-York,  of  \viiich  no  definite  ac- 
cour.ts  have  been  obrajuct!.  Thcic  is,  if  not. 
an  Associjtion,  the  rera.tins  of  one  near  the 
Missiiippi  River,  in  ;he  Illinois  Territory . 
Ii  is  also  believed  there  arc  a  number  of  new 
churches  in  sqnsc  of  the  other  western  Terri- 
tories, whose  names  have  not  been  obtained. 
In  a  number  of  the  southern  and  westcan 
States,  some  few  charch^i  are  to  be  found,  of 
which  no  notice  has  yet  been  taken.  I  think 
it  will  be  a  moderate  calculation  to  suppose 
that  there  are,  in  different  parts  of  the  United 
States  and  Territoiies,  of  ur.associated  church- 
es yet  remaining,  50,  of  ir.inisteis  2,5,  and  of 
Hie;r.beis 

Suni  total  of  Ministers  119,  Members 


CM. 

muni- 

c*nu. 

10 

68 

5' 

51 


300 
100 


900 


1.500 
97 '£ 


CHURCHES  WHICH  HOI  D  TO  WEEKLY  COMMUNION,   AND 
COMMUNE  WITH  NO  OTHERS. 


Charlcstown,  Mass. 

3808 

Walter  Batfbu* 

55 

cd  Ditto. 

1809 

Oliver  Holdeu 

^3 

Hartford,  Con. 

Henry  Grew 

l« 

New-York  city 

j8io 

Errctt  and  Ovington,  computed  at 

*5 

Baltimore 

1809 

computed  at 

& 

ik-aufort,  S.  C. 

James  Graham,  compuied  at 

¥(? 

Churches  6 

Ministers  6                              Tot;il 

12*' 

There  may  be-  other  chuiches  of  thi*  senti- 

ment, \vhich  have  not  conic  it)  the  k:n-.vl- 

edye  of  the  author. 

FREEAVILL  BAPTISTS. 

The  names  of  n' any  ciuurlir;  snd  minister-; 
,.)  ihi«  connexion  have  ii.rn  c!-iaii.cd  ;  but  cf 
a  >?icat  number  no  irtfotmatioti  ha;,  b<  en  rr 
CCA  id.  1  hav.-  kiunt  so  much  of  their  State, 
ihat  I  think  we  may  safe'y  estimate-  thcu 
chuschcs.  3t  150,  their  ministers  at  150,  -rid 
their  suui  total  of  inembeis  at 


- 


,552 


Tunkcr  Baptists. 


Churches. 


Contri- 
buted. 


Ministers. 

I  hazily  know  whit  sutcment  to  give  of 
those,  who  call  themselves  CAnsttans.  Some 
of  them  compute  their  number  at  20  or  go 
thousand.  It  is  hoped  *bere  are  more  than 
this  number  of  CStn'stians  :n  Americi.  But 
trK-se  under  consideration,  we  sha'l  commute 
af  40  churches,*  40  ministers,  and  oi  mem- 
bers 


Cam, 
miin/- 

cunli : 


5000 


TUNKER  BAPTISTS. 

Since  the  account  of  these  people  went  to 
press,  I  have  been  informed  of  some  of  whom 
•  I  had  before  obtained  no  account.  It  will 
probably  be  much  beiow  their  nwrrberto 
compute  them  at  20  churches,  30  ministers, 
and  total  of  members 


There  are  a  number  of  mixed  communion 
churches,  skuated  mostly  in  New-York,  of 
which  I  can  give  no  account. 

*  Elder  H:cks's  churoi,  in  Dartmouth, 
Mass,  is  said  now  to  contain  about  a  thousand 
members. 


1500 


SUMMARY  VIEW  OF  ASSOCIATIONS. 


tr 

fc  '       j»! 

g 

1 

b 

5 

s 

2 

s 

2." 

• 

. 

&. 

s 

S 

s 

^> 

? 

~ 

j  •        , 

& 

Z- 

«5 

l  Nova    Scotia  ~) 

27  Saratoga 

BO 

»3 

2676 

and      NPW-  > 

'9 

13 

1230 

1  28  Like  George 

6 

3 

3C2 

Brunswick    ) 

29  Essex 

6 

2 

£62 

i  Lincoln 

5' 

?5 

8673 

"o  St.  Lawrence 

4 

1 

6n 

3  Bowdoinham 

28 

24 

1456 

31  Black  River 

9 

6 

462 

4  Cumberland 

24 

24 

)  165 

32  O;scgo 

34 

10 

1953 

5  N.  Hampshire 

3° 

22 

l8'%7 

?3  Franklin 

10 

"53 

6  Meredith 

8 

6 

785 

34  IWadjs^n 

31 

30 

2317 

7  Dublin 

6 

3 

343 

35  Cayuga 

4° 

£6 

35  !9 

8  Woodstock 

25 

2! 

ji  Holland  Pur-  ? 

9  Shaftsbury 

32 

21 

3*57 

chase            > 

10 

2 

279 

lo  Vermont 

"3 

19 

'794 

37  Thurlow 

11 

8       icco 

2  1  Fairfield 

12 

6 

53^ 

38  N<  vr-Jersey 

2T 

16      1943 

12  Danville 

11 

2 

28;? 

36  Philadelphia 

24 

32     2587 

13  Barre 

11 

4 

879 

.{0  Chemung 

12 

91        4r>7 

34,  Boston 

£7 

23 

28*0 

41  Abington 

8 

4 

£49 

1,5  Sturbridge 

20 

20 

1870 

1  42  R?d  .Si  one 

83 

CO 

1  393 

>6  Ley  den 

27 

13 

2119 

43  Delaware 

(> 

4 

•1  S'o 

-17  Wesrfidd 

7 

7 

6  "3 

•  >re 

18 

1  1 

8.57 

18  Warren 

38 

42 

39^8 

lj  Saiisbu'y 

J4 

4 

19  Yearly  Meeting 

17 

12 

1361 



9o  Stotsingion 

92 

2299 

VIRGINIA. 

311  GrotonUnion  > 

1  2 

3 

•  g«4 

16  Associations 

28  q 

283  :   '5^4 

Conference  > 

'  ~i> 



tt  Danbury 

24 

16 

I7t6 

62  Kchukce 

3° 

21 

1627 

23  New-York 

26 

195  ' 

63  Nsuic 

S2            8 

'036 

44  Warwick 

20 

16 

64  C;ipe  Ffar 

^3;        P 

1448 

25  Union 

1O 

7 

761 

6j  '-  h'-wan 

23'       o 

1789 

26  Renselleaiville 

16      16 

10*8 

66  Raleigh 

18       10, 

562 

Summary  View  of  Associations. 


553 


n 

S 

| 

f 

S 

| 

5 

f 

t 

I 

3 

I 

'57  Flat  River 

1  1 

"  6 

951 

Minutes,        mbss 

<!.-{  Country  Line 

it 

8 

ilioyjic  delegated 

i.r)  Sandy  Creek 

18 

9 

1S10 

to  meet  with  then-.. 

70  Yadktn 

16 

12 

800 

A        considerable 

71  Mountain 

JO 

8 

600 

number     give     no 

72  FKnch  Broad 

10 

10 

4.5.5 

marks  of  distinction 

7}  Charleston 

3,5 

3.5 

3  198 

by   wh:ch   we  can 

74  Edjjefield 

37 

'9 

2970 

tell  wl;o  are  minis- 

?.-, Bethel 

36 

'3 

2204 

ters  and    who    are 

76  Saluda 

23 

12 

10^0 

not.  Fa  these  cases, 

77  Broad  River 

26 

17 

1082 

I  have    put  down 

78  Savant;  ill 

£8 

21 

532  } 

none  as   ministers, 

79  Georgia 

3.5 

10 

3428 

except  the  leading 

80  Hrphzibah 

34 

l8 

of      the      minutes 

81  Snrepta 

4' 

26 

3  '  57 

mentioned  them  as 

82  Ockmulgee 

31 

2677 

such.     The  names 

83  Holston 

18 

1  1 

ofunordained  min- 

84 Tennessee 

3° 

18 

'.538 

isters      are    often- 

85  Washington 

12 

8 

600 

er     omitted     than 

85  Cumberland 

23 

16 

2203 

others.  From  these 

87  Red  River 

36 

48 

2387 

considerations,!  <m 

83  Concord 

24 

32 

2031 

inclined    to    think 

%  Elk  River 

31 

16 

2322 

there  are  in  all  the 



Associations,        at 

KF.  NTUCK.Y. 

least  75   ordained, 

13  Associations 

263 

142 

ai65o 

and  loo  unordained 

—  :  —  . 

ministers,       whose 

103  Miami 

81 

1  1 

9°4 

m>mes  do  not   ap- 

10 1  Straight  Creek 

12 

8 

600 

pear  on   the  Min- 

105 Scioto 
106  Braver 
107  White  Watw 
108  Silver  Creek 

9 

12 
11 
Q 

7 
9 

7 

•47 

it 

300 

utes,  making  in  all 
Associated 
Unasiociated 
Those  who  hold  to 

222C 

'94 

175 

17849''* 
97»9 

1797 
119 

109  Wubash 

6 

6 

143 

weekly          com- 

1 10  Missisippi 

20 

13 

894 

munion 

6 

6 

130 

1  1  1  Sabbatarian   > 
Conference  J 

12 

12 

2O2? 

Free  Will  Baptists 
Those    who     call 

150 

1OOOO 

'2*23 

l622 

176764 

themselves  Chris- 

Many    Associa- 
tions do  not  enter 

tians 
Tunker  Baptists 

40 
eo 

40 

jcco 
1500 

*K<»            IT             -              1            n£ 

inc    1  1  A  i  n  c  s   o  i  any 
ministers  on    ihair 

Sutn  total 

2633 

2142 

204185 

From  the  many  observations  I  have  made  on  the  spread  of  Baptist  principles,  I  am 
inclined  to  think,  that  without  counting  that  class  in  Massachusetts  and  Connecti- 
cut, who  hang  to  the  denomination  merely  by  certificates,  we  re  ay  reckon  scvco 
adherents,  to  one  communicant.  Upon  this  mode  of  calculation,  the  number  of 
adherents  will  amoijm  to  i»433,9-t5,  which,  added  to  the  communicant*,  will  make 
the  sum  total  of  the  Baptist  denomination  in  Ameiica,  1,638,760;  that  is,  more 
than  one  fifth  of  the  whole  population  of  the  United  States  ar.J  Territories. 


VOJ-.  2. 


70 


AD  VER  TISEMEXT. 

IT  is  hoped  that  the  increased  size  of  this  work,  will  he  a  sufficient 
apology  to  the  subscribers,  for  the  delay  of  its  publication.  The  letters,  and 
some  other  articles  in  the  first  part  of  both  volumes,  would  have  been  print- 
ed on  small  type,  had  it  been  expected  the  pages  would  have  swelled  so 
much  beyond  the  number  first  proposed.  Many  parts  of  the  composition  the 
writer  would  have  been  glad  to  have  retouched;  many  accounts  might 
have  been  made  shorter,  could  he  have  had  more  time  to  prepare  them  ; 
and  some  repetitions  might  have  been  avoided,  could  he  have  reviewed  the 
whole  work  before  any  of  it  was  printed,  and  not  been  obliged  to  pass  rapid- 
ly from  one  volume  and  article  to  another,  to  supply  two  presses  with  copy. 
Should  any  mistakes  of  importance  be  discovered,  in  the  numerous  accounts 
which  he  has  collected  with  ao  much  labour  and  cane,  he  will  esteem  it  a 
favour  to  be  informed  of  them.  And  should  any  statements,  of  matters  of 
a  disputable  nature,  be  firoved  to  be  incorrect,  it  will  be  his  duty  and  pleasure 
to  correct  them,  should  another  edition  be  called  for  in  his  day ;  as  his  design 
throughout  has  been  to  pursue  the  plain  road  of  narration,  and  not  the 
thorny  one  of  con  trovers}'. 

Three  years  from  this  date,  that  is,  in  the  beginning  of  1817,  should  the 
author's  life  be  continued,  he  proposes  to  publish  separately,  a  second  table  of 
Associations  and  Churches,  at  which  time,  and  indeed  annually  the  inter- 
vening time,  he  desires  to  have  forwarded  to  him  the  Minutes  of  all  Associa- 
tions whieh  are  now  in  being,  or  which  may  hereafter  arise. 


$*"  Since  the  account  of  the  India  Mission  was  printed,  Mr.  RICE,  whose, 
name  is  there  mentioned,  has  returned  to  America,  to  solicit  the  aid  of 
the  Baptists  in  this  country,  towards  the  arduous  and  benevolent  design 
of  propagating  the  gospel  in  India.  Mr.  JUDSOM  is  now  on  the  field  of 
missionary  labour,  to  which  Mr.  RICE  proposes  soon  to  return.  Before 
his  arrival,  Societies  for  Foreign  Missions  had  been  formed  in  Boston, 
Salem,  Haverhill,  and  Providence.  Since  that  event,  similar  Societies 
have  been  organized  in  New- York,  Philadelphia,  Washing  ton  and  Balti- 
more, Richmond,  Charleston,  Savannah,  and  some  other  places.  Mr. 
RICE  has  travelled  through  the  States ;  has  met  with  lunch  encourage- 
ment in  his  designs  ;  has  collected  about  a  thousand  dollars,  exclusive  of 
what  Societies  have  raised ;  and  a  promising  prospect  presents  iu»elf,  that 
liberal  means  will  socu  be  provided  for  sending  Baptist  Missionaries  from. 
Columbia's  favoured  shores  to  India's  benighted  realms* 


INDEX* 


Delaware.    Welsh  Tract,  p.  4.    Brynzion,  8.    Wilmington,  9. 

Maryland.  General  Baptist  church,  12.  Hartford  church,  15.  Baltimore, 
Mr.  Richards,  17.  City  of  Washington,  19. 

Virginia.  First  company  of  Baptists  in  it,  23 — 25.  Second  company — Reg- 
ular Baptists,  26.  Persecutions  of  David  Thomas  and  others,  SC — 33.  Kt- 
tockton  Association,  34.  Jos.iah  Osbcun.c,  the  author  of  David  and  Goliath,  36. 

Separate  Baptists  begin  in  Virginia,  sr.  Remarkable  things  of  the  Sandy- 
creek  church  in  N.  C.  42.  Sandy-creek  Assccinticn  formed,  49.  Divided,  53. 
Samuel  Harris  ordained  an.  Apostle,  55. 

The  question,  Is  salvation  by  Christ  made  possible  for  every  individual,  &c. 
causes  a  divisicn,  57. 

Tlie  General  Committee  formed,  58. 

Regulars  and  Separates  unite,  62. 

A  brief  account  of  the  ecclesiastical  establishment  in  Virginia,  64. 

Juhn  Blair,  the  deputy-governor's  letter  in  favour  of  the  Baptists,  66.  Many 
thrown  into  prison,  67 — 73. 

Ministers'  salaries  and  fines  paid  in  tobacco.  Severe  law  against  the  Qua- 
kers, 78 — 81. 

Struggles  to  overthrow  the  ecclesiastical  establishment,  begin,  82.  The  busi- 
ness completed,  85. 

A  brief  account  of  the  Associations  in  Virginia,  8G — 88.  Great  Revival,  90. 
Richmond  church,  91. 

North-Carolina.  General  Baptists  settle  in  it,  98.  Gano,  Miller, and  Van- 
horn  visit  and  reform  them,  99.  Kehukce  Association  formed,  100.  Nine 
Christian  rites,  dry  christening,  107.  Camp  meetings,  109.  Anecdotes  of  Mr. 
Murphy,  113.  North-Carolina  Regulation,  115.  Mr.  Merrill  executed,  117. 

South-Carolina.    Charleston  church  planted  by  William  Screven,  120. 

General  view  oi'  the  formation  and  pic-^rcis  of  the  Charleston  Association, 
131 — 149. 

F 's  buck  load,  161. 

General  Baptists,  161. 

Letter  from  Mr.  Liliv,  giving  r.n  account  of  a  great  revival,  165. 

Dr.  Furman's  account  ot  a  Camp  Mee>.ir.'.j,  167. 

Georgia.    The  Kioka  church  founded  by  D-uiic;  Marshall,  173. 

Mr.  Whitefield  speaks  unadvisedly  j-.gdh.ist  the  iki;,tists,  l£0. 

Anecdotes  of  Mr.  Botsford  in  Georgia,  181 — 182. 

Mr.  Stirk  and  wife,  183. 

Savannah  church,  185. 

A  number  of  African  churches  in  Georgia  and  the  West-Indies.  George 
Lcisle,  &c.  189— 206. 

Observations  on  slavery,  and  anecdotes  respecting  slaves,  207—213. 

Tennessee.    Various  uc.cnunts  ef  it,  213 — 226. 

Kentucky.  Account  of  its  settlement,  227.  Elkhorn  Association  has  aston- 
ishing additions,  2-0.  Arian  affair,  23J.  Emancipating  society,  245. 

Some  account  of  die.  Great  Revival  in  Kentucky,  Lait  Will  and  Testament  of 
the  Springfield  Presbytery,  singularexercises  of  danciag,  jerking,  &c.  251—257. 

Ohio.    First  church  in  it  funned  at  Columbia,  2i9.    Genuan  church,  261. 

Baptists  in  the  Territorial  governments,  262 — 2f;5. 

Bicgmfihicat  Sketches.  John  Asplund,  266.  Isaac  Bachus,  267.  Elijah 
Baker,  274.  Robert  Carter,  278.  James  Chik-h,  -..-79.  Joseph  Cook,  'A •(). 
Ijemuel  Cuvel,  2^9.  Elijah  Craig,  291.  b:tnv.:el  J'.'  i  8,  ~:J.;.  Morgan  Ed- 
wards, 294.  Bcnjumin  Foster,  301.  Daniel  Fr ;:-;•.•  .  ;i.  John  C^....-,  JJ'* 


Oliver  Hart,  323.    Samuel  Harris,  330i    Dutton  Lane,  3.19.    Lewis  Lunsford, 

G41.  Jain  -s  Mailing,  3-1--S.  Richard  Major,  3-19.  Daniel  Marshall,  350. 
Kliakim  Marshall,  355.  Silas  Mercer,  357.  Joshua  Mpn»e,  361.  Jast-ph  Reese, 

S6-*.  Slvabciel  Steams,  365.  S-uunr-1  Stiliinar.,  369  Gardner  Thnrstnn,  382. 
Jeremiah  Walker,  388.  baunders  Walker,  r,'j2.  Jr.! in  \Vuller,  ^3.  V\'iiiiam 
W^  brier,  399.  Peter  Warden,  401.  John  Williams,  404. 

Weekly  Communion  Baptists,  407. 

Free- Will  Baptists,  410.     Ellas  S:riith  and  followers,  41 2. 

Seventh  Day  Baptists,  412.  Singular  o-ith  required  of  those  suspected  of  their 
heresy,  414.  The  Ste.'intit  f.miiiy,  415.  Francis  Bam  pfield  dies  in  New- 
gate. 416.  J.,hn  James  educate*!  m  a  cruel  manner,  41 7.  Sabbatarians  in 
America,  418-424, 

Kogtrenes,  422.  Indian  Churches,  426.  Dr.  Fankiin's  Grandfather  a  Bap- 
tist, Kefthians,  428.  Tanker  Baptists,  430.  Mennonites,  436. 

-^TlstijHzru  Swietie*.    410. 

Literary  fnstituiiom  and  Education  Funds.    Brown  Uuiversity,  <4". 

G"nsral  Observations.  Doctrine  of  the  Atonemeiit,  4  56.  Temporal  cir- 
cumstances of  ministers,  457.  A  piece  from  Lclatiil's  Buc'.eet  of  Scraps  on  the 
sunprrt  of  ministers,  459.  A  piece  from  the  Georgia  Mimues  on  the  same  sub- 
ject, 460.  View  of  the  Baptises  resnecthv.;  learning,  453.  On  Associations,  464. 
On  Societies,  4-S5.  Oa  thi  appe"'latio:i*  given  to  ministers,  4c*6.  Aged  minis- 
tei-s  and  widows  of  rriinistcrs  neglected,  46S.  On  building  meetiiig-houscs,  469. 

Questions  and  Answers,  469—473. 

jfjifiendix.  Memoi-Ul  arid  Henmnstrance,  474.  David  Thomas's  Poem,  ad- 
crc-scd  to  the  Virginia  Assembly,  479. 

Address  of  xhe  CJommitLee  of  the  Baptists  in  Virginia  to  General  Washington, 
480.  The  General's  answer,  4!-;l. 

Iceland's  Speech  in  the  Massachusetts  Assemblv.  482. 

Additional  Remarks  on  the  character  of  Roger  Willtems,  436. 

Account  ef  William  Blackstone,  490. 

Letter  of  the  Baptists  in  Philadelphia  to  the  Episcopalians.  491.  Civil  state 
of  Dissenters  in  England,  •'193.  Simpson's  account  of  the  church  of  England, 
495.  Summary  View  ot't'ie  different  denominations  in  the  United  States,  495. 
General  Table  of  As^cciadbP.s  ar.d  Ch  -197. 


ERRATA. 

PACK 

Jn  the  account  r  f  the  Mayo  Asseciatir.n,  rt'mit  the  word  Tenressee,  87 
In  the  running  tif  le  for  Uev.  Charles  O.  Screven,  read  Re\  .  Wm.  Scrcveu,  123 

For  Cuttiro,  read  CutMno,  151 

In  the  note  about  tl>e  Dutchman,  for  vive  read  wive,  182 

For  Mr.  Co;i;i:oo  rtiad  M'Counico,  256 

For  petitiors,  read  petitronevs,  and  for  Jieir  read  then,  271 

For  tunker,  read  tvinken,  430 


,  a  number  qf  errors  have  crept  into  both  volume-'!,  which  are 
either  so  smalt  or  obvious,  that  no  one  iviil  be  in  dagger  of  mistaking  the 
waning.     Tin-  mi&if>eli:r:g  of  the  names  r,f  a  number  of  {lemons,  and  places, 
l  r&t  discover  ;  !.'>r.'6c  ivho  d?,  ii-ill  i:i'^.-  h-j-i'  to  correct  them. 


SUBSCRIBERS'    NAMES. 


CorniOallit,  N.B. 
Edward  Manning,   12 

DISTRICT  OF  MAINE. 

Eastport. 

HENRY  A.  CLARKE 
Aaron  Hayckn,  Esq.  2 
Margaret  Wortman 
Nathaniel  Clarke 
Daniel  Holmes 
Abel  Sturns 
John  Bastow 
Samuel  Wheeler 
John  Webster 
Jonathan  N.  Peavey 
Stephen  Jones 
Alanson  Rice 
Jerry  Burgiss 
John  Kendall 
Moses  Norwood,  jr. 
David  Parsons 
Stephen  Hatch 
Jacob  Lincoln 
Jesse  Gleason 
Philip  Y.  Bell 
Lewis   F.  Delesderni- 

er,Esq. 

Jonathan  C.  Todd 
Thomas  Lesner,  jr. 

Washington  County. 
Jonathan  Furnald 
Robert  Moor,  Esq. 
Capt,  James  Moor 
Benjamin  Wakefield 
Mark  Leighton 
Jonathan  Leighton 
Elisha  Small 
Capt.  Joseph  Adams 
William  Ray 
Simeon  Brown 
Alex.  Nichols,  Efq, 
James  Campbell,  Esq. 
Elisha  Coffin 
David  Wass 
VOL.  2. 


Joseph  Pattin,  Esq. 
James  Bailey 
Otis  Smith 
Uriah  Nash 

DennisviUf. 
Isaac  Hobert 

Sedgwlct. 
DANIEL  MERRILL,  10 

Thomaiton. 
SAMUEL  BAKER,  9 

Jefferson 

WILLIAM    ALLEN 
Joseph  Jackson 
Nathaniel  Kennedy 
John  Kennedy 
Archibald  Robinson 
Thomas  i'rask,  jr. 
Andrew  Waggoner 
Samuel  Whitehouse 
Mary  Hawks 
Daniel  Weeks 
Winthrop  Weeks 

North-  Yarmouth. 
THOMAS  GREEN 
SYLVANUS  BOARDMAN 
Col.  Thomas  Chase 
James  Field 
Calvin  Stockbridge,  9 

Portland, 
CALEB  BLOOD 
Samuel  Ward 
Mark  Harris 
William  Harris 
Nathaniel  Lefavor 
Abel  Sturns 
Anthony  Fernald 
Joseph  Noble 
Joseph  C.  Boyd,  Esq. 
Justin  Kent 
Benj.  Radford 

Scattered  in  many  to-wnt. 

Japheth  C.  Washburn 


STEPHEN  DEXTER 
Isaac  Dexter 
Reuben  Besse,  jr. 
NATHANIEL  ROBIN  SDK 
Nathan  Wesson 
Capt.  John  Dennitt 
Joseph  Palmer 
Edmund  Haywood 
John  Smith 
Joseph  Amory 
HENRY  KENDALL 
JOHN  TK.IPP 

NEW-HAMPSHIRK. 

M'tlford. 
GEORGE  EVANS,  10 

Concord. 
George  Hough 
Isaac  Hill 

Salisbury. 
OTIS  ROBINSON 
Lydia  True 

New-London. 
JOB  SEAMANS 
Jeremiah  Pingry,  jr. 

Chesterfield. 
JOSEPH  ELLIOT 
Andrew  Phillips,  jr. 
William  Colburn 

Stvaazy. 

Joseph  Hammond,  jr. 
Benjamin  Hammond 
David  Brown,  2 

distend. 

JEREMIAH  HIGBEE,  3 
Capt.  Oliver   Shepard 
Capt.  Levi  Warren 
Darius  Pond 

Cornish. 

ARIEL  KSNDRICIC,   14 
Absalom  Forbes 


Subscribers'  Names. 


Statterrd  in  many  toisni. 

Jonathan  Harvey 
Abner  Chase 
Samuel  Huestead 
Prudence  Richards 
Nathaniel  Bolles 
Artemas  Stone,  2 
Hon.  Abel  Parker 
Benj.  Prescott,  Esq. 
Lieut.  Aaron  Brown 
Isaiah  Brown 
Pearson  Richardson 
Joseph  Holt 
Isaac  Lovejoy 
WILLIAM  ELLIOT 
ELIJAH  WILLARD 
Daniel  Crowainsbield 
CHARLES  CUMMINGS 
Solomon  How 
David  Goodell,  jr. 


Asahel  Webster,  Esq.  Cyrus  Leach 
Jacob  Lowell  HENRY  GREEN 

1J/estmimtcr. 
Daniel  Newton 
John  Tuttle,  Esq. 
Samuel  Tuttle 
Capt.  Daniel  Mason 
Benjamin  Smith 
Andvotr. 
Joel  Manning,  8 
Archelaus  Putnam 

Windsor. 
Stephen  Shaw 


Marvin  Grow 
John  W.  Harris,  z 
JOHN  SPALHING 
Lewis  Fisher 
BARNABAS  PERKINS 
Samuel  Miner 
James  Thwing 


Daniel  Bugbee 
Gen.  Abner  Forbes 
John  Skinner 
Oliver  Tarnsworth,  12 

Craftsbury. 
DANIEL  MASON 
Hiram  Mason 
Samuel  C.  Crafts 

Hlnuburgb. 
Samuel  Churchill,  3 
J.  &  M.  M'Ewen 
John  Beacher,  2 


VERMONT. 

Gui/forJ. 

JEREMIAH  PACKARD 
Berj    Bucklin,  Esq. 
John  Noyes,  Esq. 
Lieut. CyrusCarpenter  Daniel  Bennet 
John  Miles 

Poultney. 

CLARK  KENDRICK 
Hon.  William  Ward 
Elijah  D.  Webster 

Middhtown. 
SYLVANUS  HAYNFS 
Henry  Hutchinson 

Scattered  in  many  teivns. 

Samuel  Kingsbury 
Evans  Read 
Seth  Howard 


Whitingbam. 
Caleb  Rider 
Nathan  Brown 
Luther  Walker 
Josiah  Brown 

Wilmington. 
Liseus  Auitin,  z 
Jeremiah  Pamell 
Capt.  Jonah  Lincoln 
Medad  Smith 
ELI  BALL 


Marvel  Howard 


Halifax. 

D-irius  Bullock,  Esq. 
Jonathan  Allen 
Thomas  Tucker 

Stephen  Otis,  jr.  Esq.  Lcvl  ^wm 
David  Allen,  jr.  Bei1J-  Baldwin,  Esq. 

Windham. 
THOMAS  BAKER 
Abitl  Whitman 


John  Clark 
Jacob  Ide 
Barzillai  Snow 
EZRA  BUTLER 
Charles  Sias 
William  Forbes 
John  Ide 
Joel  Priest 
Sarah  Brown 
Sarah  Brown,  jr. 
Nathaniel  Blood 
John  Cooper 
Elliot  Colby 
Ephraim  Butler 
Joshua  Bliss 
Clarissa  Pitkin 
Silas  Davison 
DAVID  BOYNTON 
Uriel  Stewart 
Abraham  Northrop 
John  Cressey,  jr. 
Jacob  Storey 
Jesse  Lee 

LUTHER  HITCHCOCK 
THOMAS  PURINTON 
Calvin  Chamberlin 
ISAIAH  MATTISON 
PAUL  HYMES 
Werden  P.  Reynolds 

Brandon. 

Jonathan  Meriam 
John  Conant,  Esq. 


Capt.  Jonathan  Burnet  Ell:,h  Parker,  Esq. 
JONATHAN    HUNTLLY 


Putney. 
Capt.  Daniel  Jewett 


Stanton  Eddy 
ISAAC  SAWYER 
Bethuel  White 
David  Campbell 
ROSWELL  MEARS 


John 

Ephraim  Strong 

William  A.  Finney 

Cavendish. 

JONATHAN  GOING,  jr. 
Hon.  Asa  Fletcher 
Samuel  White,  Esq. 


Hon.  J.D.Farnsworth  U.  C.  Hatch,  Esq. 


Subscribers*  Names. 


MASSACHUSETTS. 

Boston  and  CharUtiowa. 
THOMAS  BALD  WIN, D-D. 
WILLIAM  COLLIER 
Caleb  Hiorns 
Jonathan  Ball 
Ward  Jackson 
Matthew  Bayley 
Israel  Alger 
John  Sullivan 
Thomas  Badger 
J.  C.  Ransford 
Josiah  Marshall 
Jonathan  Kilham 
William  Boynton 
Elijah  Withington 
Thomas  Kendall 
Elijah  Mears 
John  F.  Low 
Nathaniel  Ripley 
Lemuel  Porter 
Wm.  M.  S.  Doyle,  2 
Ebenezer  Lai  kin 
Amos  Boynton 
Ephraim  Jones 
Johnson  Chase 
John  Carter 
Jacob  Hiler 
DANIEL  SHARP 
Heman  Lincoln 
Samuel  Adams 
Ephraim  Robins 
JAMES  M.  WINTCHELL 
Augustus  Reed 
Atherton  T.Penniman 
Frink  Stratton 
J.imes  Colman 
Joshua  Merritt 
Sarah  Homer 
Benjamin  Holt 
WALTER   BALFOUR,  2 
David  Fosdick 
James  Parsons,  jr. 
Augustus  Aspinwall 
Samuel  Hood 
Solon  Jenkins 
Benjamin  Rcss 
Isaiah  Jenkins 
THOMAS  PAUL 

Beverly. 

Francis  Lamson 
Nehemiah  Roundy 


Richard  Dodge 

Martin  Keith 

Marllehtad. 

J.  Benson 

Isaac  Storey,  jr. 
John  Fielding 
Jacob  Willard,  Esq. 

Isaac  Rider 
Standish  Kider 
David  Bursil 

T-\ 

John  Benson 

Uanvers. 

JEREMIAH  CHAPLIN 

Carver. 

Benjamin  Kent 
Simeon  Dodpe 

Benj.  Shurtliff 
Joseph  Robins 

o 

Capt.  Thomas  Cheever 

Elener  Dunham 

Capt.  Thomas  Putnam 

Troy. 

Samuel  Whipple 
Caleb  Cakes 

Capt.  Abraham  Bowen 
Nathaniel  Luther 

Benjamin  Chaplin 

Enoch  French 

M.-.j.  Moses  Black 

John  Shays 

New-Bedford. 

John  Alexander 

Reading. 
Benjamin  Flint 
Lilly  Eaton,  9 

John  A.  Parker 
John  Pickens 
Abigail  Russel 

S/ndover. 

John  Coggeshall 

Orlando  Abbot 

Barney  Corey 

Phinehas  Richardson 
John  Cornish,  Esq. 
John  Kneeland,  Esq. 

Swansea. 
ABNER  LEWIS 
Edward  Mason 

Neivburyport. 

Cyrus  Luther 

JOHM  PEAK 

Ambrose  Peck 

Shubael  Trent 

Taunton. 

HavirbilL 

Caleb  Atherton 

WM.  BATCHELDER,  9 

Abuer  Thayer 

Bridgewater. 

William  Stall 

Alph  Leach 

Rehobotb. 

William  Besett 

Isaiah  Lane 

Samuel  Alden 

Benaiah  Barney,  Esq 

Azael  Shaw 

John  Jacobs 

Alexander  Shaw 

David  Newman 

S.  Lovell 

Caleb  Carpenter 

Josiah  Lathrop 

David  Kingsley 

Barzillai  Hayward 

David  Perry,  Esq. 

Fisk  Ames 

Thomas  Bullock 

Middleborough. 
SAMUEL  ABBOT 
Levi  Peirce,  Esq.  9 
Andrew  Cole 
Sqlomon  Thompson 
James  Cole 
John  Wilson 
Jabez  Williams 
Samuel  Wilson 
Josiah  Burrow* 


Seelonk. 

Timothy  Walker 
T.  Angell 
Samuel  Collyer 
Sarah  French 
Thomas  Munro 
Maj.  Allen  Munro 
Samuel  Brown 
David  Brown 
G.  W.  Carpeatw 


Subscribers*  Names. 


Israel  Dagget 
Benj.  Corbin 
Wm.  Hammond 
Joseph  Bucklin 
Church  Gray 
William  Collier 

Attleborough. 
JAMES  READ 
Margaret  Blackington 
John  Sprague 
William  Everet 
Jabel  Ingraham 
Nathan  Kobinson 
Elijah  Ingraham 
Sylvester  Clafton 
Jane  Hulton 
Calvin  Cleftin 
Mary  Sadler 

Wrentkam. 
Ezra  Blake 

S.  Newton 
J.  White 
Samuel  Flagg 
Josiah  Ball 
Nathaniel  Smith 
Jason  Abbot 
Elisha  Keyes 
Joseph  Fassett 

HoMen. 
James  Davis 
Jeremiah  Winn 
Jason  Mann 

Tcmpldoa. 
Job  Fletcher 
Daniel  Norcross 
Nathan  Bryant 

IVfstborough. 
Benjamin  Clark 
John  Beeman 
Asahel  Bellows 

Nathaniel  Aldrich 


Wm.Blackington,Esq.  Lydia  Haskell 

John  Needhain 

Barrt. 

Job  Sibley 
A.  Chase 
Daniel  Harwood 
Simeon  Metcalf 


Waton. 

Ralph  Abrams 
Samuel  Train 
i.ydia  Upham 

Lancaster, 
Edward  Fuller 
Charles  Chase 
John  Wickden,  jr. 
Ephraim  Emerson 


Mendon. 

Aaron  Thayer,  jr. 
Elias  Lasell 
Ebenezer  Churcheli 
Andrew  Sherman 

-  John  Southwick 

Benjamin  W.  Willard  William  Wheeler 
Worcester.  Lewis  Ingals 

Samuel  Prentice 


WILLIAM  BENTLEV 
William  Rice 
T.  Kiinberly 
George  Grafton 
James  Wilson,  Esq. 

Shrewsbury. 
X.UTHER  GODDARD 

Josiah  Norcross 
John  H.  How 
Joseph  Knowlton 
F.  Harrington 
Darid  Hopgood 

Soybtof, 

Jrazier  Sargeut 


Joseph  Thayer 
Roswell  Potter 
Weaver  Bennet 
D.  Smith 
Samuel  Sweet 
Walter  Wilber 
Giler  Thompson 
A.  Swasey 
John  Smith 
Simon  Wheeler 
Wealthy  Cover 
Olney  Mason 
Peleg  Peckham 
Ethur  Tourtellot 


William  Bates 
John  Beesey 
Samuel  Berry 
Samuel  Silcly 
Philip  Handy 
Newton  Darling 
Willard  Wilson 
William  Legg 

Douglas. 

Capt.  Aaron  Benson 
Dr.  Aaron  Batchelor 
Simeon  Lee 
Asa  Streeter 
Nathan  Sweetland 

Sutton. 

Moses  Putnam 
Admon  Mainon 
James  M'Clallan 
Josiah  Batchelder 
Ambrose  Chase 

SturbriJgc. 

ZENAS  L.  LEONARB 
Henry  Fiske 
Simeon  Fiske 
Peter  Belknap 
John  Phillips 
Joshua  Mason 

Charlton. 
DAVID  BOOMED 
David  Bush 
Daniel  Bacon 

Belcher  town. 
JAMES  PEASE 
Austin  Ames 
Ebenezer  Green 
Salome  Patrick 

Adams. 

George  Witherill,  4 
Jeremiah  Colegrove 
Stephen  Carpenter 
John  Waterman 
Philip  Rich 


WILLIAM  HUBBARB. 
Abel  Brown 
Moses  Bliss 
Gustavus  Pinney 
Abiram  Morgan 
Samuel  Caswell 


Subscribers1  Names. 


Chester. 

JOHN    GRANT,  9 
Dr.  Martin  Fhelps 
Eiisha  Wilcox,  jr. 

Leverett. 


Dexter  Brown 
Benj  im in  Adams 
Oliver  Hougliton 
Saml.  C.  Dillaw.iy 
ASA  NILES 
THOMAS    WATERMAN 


EITJJAH  MONTAGUE,  9  jarvis  P<  Leonard 

Ktattfrtd  in  many  tewns. 

Stephen   Chamberlain       RHODE-ISLAND. 

THOMAS  COKANT 

Abigail  Phillips 

Francis  Dwelley 

Samuel  Denny 

David  Bryant 

Ebenezer  Sjaow 

Samuel  Arnold 

BARNABAS  BATES 

Enoch  Batchelder 

Abijah  Fisher 

Elijah  Rich 

John  Stone 

VALEN.  W.  RATHBUJJ 

Simon  Slocom 

Otis  Cooper 

Artemas  Hyde 

J.  E.  Torbush 

P.  Goddard 

Apollos  Rich 

David  Goddard 

Joseph  Slate 

Thomas  Wesson 

Cornelius  Moore 

Dr.  Oliver  Russell 

Henry  C.  Warren 

Capt.  Daniel  Bowker 

CHARLES  TRAIN 

David  Fisk 

Seth  Grout 

JAMES  BARNABY 

David  Bates 

EfiENEZtR   BURT 

Benj.  Rider 
Peter  W.  Paul 
George  Walker 
SAMUEL  GLOVER. 
Seth  Drew,  Esq. 
Charles  Whiting 
Asa  Thomson 
ABISHA  SAMSON 
Sally  Whitcomb 
BARTIMEUS  BRAMAN 


Providence* 
STEPHEN  GANO 
JOHN  PITMAN 
JOSEPH  CORNELL 
ASA  MESSIR,D.D.LL.D. 

Pres.  of  B.  University. 
James    Fenner,     Esq. 

Lots  Govtrnor  of  R.  I. 
Samuel  Eddy,   LL.  D. 
Secretary  of  State. 
Hon.  D.  Howell,  LL.D. 
Jeremiah  B.   Howell, 
Senator  in  Congress. 
Nicholas  Brown,  Esq. 
Thos.  P.  Ives,  Esq.  3 
Thos.  Burgess,  Esq. 
Capt.  Nicholas  Cook 
Thomas  Hopkins 
Harvy  Simmons 
Samuel  T.  Holroyd 
Sam'l  G.Arnold,  Esq. 
Dr.  William  Thayer 
Young  Seamans 
Isaac  Brown 
Benjamin  T.  Chandler 
Moses  Eddy 
Samuel  A  born 
Stephen  Smith 
William  Mason 
Daniel  S.  Aborn 
William  Smith 
Simeon  Barker 
Seth  Davis,  jun. 
Benjamin  Robinson 
John  Vickery 
William  Woodward 
George  Gilmore 
Esbon  Wescott 
Capt.  Samuel  Grafton 
Isaac  Pitman 
Daniel  Shelden 
William  Lee 


Obadiah  Penniman 
Joseph  Paddleford 
J.  Whitmore 
John  Davis 
Nathaniel  G.  Oiney 
Duty  Roberts 
Burnham  Helms 
William  Barker 
Samuel  Young 
Thomas  Truesdell 
Capt.  John  Holmes 
Edward  Harwood 
Thomas  Reynolds 
Isaac  Peck 
Gideon  Baiker 
Robert  Blinn 
Amelia  S.  Townsend 
Isaac  Green 
Ira  Ormsbe 
Harding  W.  Stoddard 
Capt.  Jos.  Tillinghast 
Samuel  Claik 
Capt.  Abra.  Studly 
Thomas  T.  Wescott 
Russell  Allen 
Moses  H.  Bartlett 
Luther  Bushee 
William  Brown 
Capt.  Abel  B.  Weth- 
er ington 

Capt.  Solomon  Tyler 
William  Chappell 
Samuel  Mason 
Gen.  James  B.  Mason 
Amasa  Mason 
William  R.  Benson 
Reuben  Bovvtn 
Joseph  Martin 
John  Haraden 
David  Butler 
Oliver  Sutton 
Col.  John  S.  Eddy 
Joshua  H.  Langley 
John  H.  Peterson 
Rebecca  Power 
Martha  Treaciwell 
Capt.  William  Farrer 
Daniel  Mason,  jun. 
Benjamin  C.  Graftoa 
John  Newman 
Mary  C.  Parkes 


Subscribers9  Names. 


Samuel  Staples 
Charle»  Lassell 
William  Sweet 
Betsy  Fuller 
Hannah  Wilber 
Joseph  Jenks 
Joseph  Boyman 
John  Calder 
Dr.  John  Eddy 
Augustine  Carpenter 
Boomer  Luther 
Samuel  hathforth,  jun. 
Gideon  Sweet 
William  H.  M-.son 
Capt.  Robert  Gray 
Thomas  T.  Teffc 
Joseph  Case 
Joseph  Holroyd 
Elizabeth  Boyd 
Nicholas  Hoppia 
Oliver  Angell 
Cyrus  Grant 
Ann  Haile 
John  Holroyd,  Esq. 
Jeremiah  Tillinghast 
N.  Macomber 
Jonathan  Cady 
Levi  Chapotin 
George  Thomas 
Gilbert  Seamans 
Jeremiah  Amsbury 
Matilda  Thuiber 
Nathaniel  f.  Whiting 
Benjamin  Burgess 
William  West 
Anthony  Cumtnings 
William  Thurber 
William  Holroyd 
John  P.  Peterson 
Kandall  Pullen 
Thomas  Hopkins,  jun. 
Experience  Abbot 
Ira  Winsor 
Stephen  Smith,  jr. 
Cyrus  W.  Lindsey 
Cyrus  Cole 
D  miel  A.  Randall 
J  jseph  Baker 
Daniel  Dailey 
Judson  Blake 
Sanford  Ross 


Varnum  Wilkinson 
Nath'l  Searle,  jr.  Esq. 
Capt.  Benja.  Boyman 
Capt.  Samuel  Cross 
Jeremiah  Jones 
Charles  Randall 
Capt.  Gideon  Young 
William  Lawrence 
John  Clemmons 
John  Tarp 

Dan'l  D.  Demoranvill 
Horace  Fox 
Joseph  Hodges 
Daniel  Swetland 
Sylvanus  G.  Martin 
J  :mes  Calder 
Lewis  Ormsbee 
Thomas  P.  Clark 
Tully  Dorrance 
Col.  Ephraim  Bowen 
Capt.  Samuel  Wescott 
Allen  Brown 
Nathan  Miller 
John  Crandell 
Joseph  Crandell 
James  Thurber 
George  Holroyd 
Zelea  Covel 
Chas.  W.  Tillinghast 
Capt.  Benj.  G.  Dexter 
Joanna  Gano 
.bliza  Brown  Gano 
Oliver  A.  Jenks 
Benjamin  A.  Battey 
Walter  Potter 
John  F.  Jackson 
Nathan  Waterman 
Joseph  Herring 
Jeremiah  Heath 
Kenneth  Patterson 
Peter  Berkley 
Franklin  Newell 
Seth  Luther 
Newport  Wanton 
Sally  Olney 
Martha  Humphrey 
William  Jones,  zd 
Nathan  Daggett 
Obadiah  M.  Brown 
Christopher  Rodrick 
Wh«aton  Bragg 


Peleg  Burroughs 

Cyrus  Luther 

David  Tefft 

B.  W.  Gardner 

Russell  Wilkinson 

Oliver  Shaw 

Ebenezer  Nelson 

James  G.  Armington 

John  Bailey,  Tutor  in 
Brotun  University. 

Ebenezer  Burgess,  do. 

Flavel  Shurtleff,  Stu- 
dent in  B.  University. 

George  W.  Gladding 

Morgan  Nelson,  Student 
in  Bruvun  University 

Thomas  Rivers,  Esq. 

David  Peck 

Elizabeth  L.  Brown 

George  Dods 

Paiutuct:et,  and  near. 
O.  Starkweather,  Esq. 
William  Allen 
Remember  Kent 
George  W.  Com  stock 
Benjamin  B.  Peirce 
Jonathan  Smith 
Capt.  Eli  Messenger 
Barney  Merry 
George  W.  Walker 
Capt.  B.  S.  Wolcott 
Otis  Wolcott 
Daniel  Sabin 
Richard  Waterman 
Dan  Robimon 
Dr.  A.  Davenport 
Sylvanus  Newman 
Otis  Tiffany 
Hanson  Read 
Joseph  C.  Wheaton 
Col.  Eliphalet  Slack 
CoL  Simon  Whipple 
Eben.  Tiffany,  Esq. 
Nath'l  G.  B.  Dexter 
Sylvia  Wheaton 
Rebecca  Cole 
Simeon  Daggett 
John  Haley 
Dr.  Niles  Manchester 
John  Coggeshall 


Subscribers*  Names. 


Stephen  Taber 
Ichabod  Taber 
John  Lever 
Samuel  Slater,  Esq. 
David  Bucklin 
Jerahmeel  Jenks 
Bosworth  Walker 
Uriah  Benedict 
GEORGE  H. HOUGH 
Comfort  Barrows 
William  Chaffee 
Thomas  Welsh 
William  Hove/ 
Benjamin  Bowen 
John  Miner 
Samuel  Cook 
Jesse  May,  Esq. 
David  Wilkinson 
Maj.  Ebenezer  Tyler 
Waterman  T.  Dexter 
Lydi.i  Croade 
Thomas  Spears 
G.W.Tillinghast,Esq. 
George  Jenks 
William  Tiffany 
Phebe  Carpenter 
David  Anthony 
Isaac  Wilkinson 
James  Daily 
Hezekiah  Howe 
Jonathan  Messenger 
Jesse  Hopkins 
William  Tiffany,  2d 
Henry  Taft 
Mrs.  White 
John  Lowden 
Dana  Gale 
Ezekiel  Carpenter 
Joseph  Jenks 
Capt.  Caleb  Drown 
Mary  Olney 
Rhoda  Jenks 
Ezra  Bairows 
Maturen  Ballou 
Esther  Cole 
William  A.  Sheldon 
Amos  Read 
William  P.  Henry 
Betsey  Greenleaf 

North-  Pro-oidenx. 
Andrew  Brown 


Elisha  Brown 

John  Wood 

Joseph  Whipple 

Simeon  Stewart 

Samuel  Olney 

Nathan  Glevson 

Nathaniel  Angell 

Pitts  Smith 

Thomas  Whipple 

Asa  Burli.ifrarne 

Richard  Knight 

Sands  Aldrich 

Fenner  Angell 

Gloucester. 

Cumberland. 

Cyrus  Cooke 

William  Jillson 

Amherst  Kimball 

Eliza  G.  Cook 

William  Colnell 

Maria  Brown 

Ira  P.  iivans 

Joanna  Cook 

Thomas  Brown 

BebeC.  Balkcom 

Benjamin   Brown 

Lemuel  Capron 

Samuel  Winsor 

George  Mason 

Foster. 

Col.  Caleb  Haskell 
Alexander  Ballou 

Joshua  King 

SmithfielJ. 
George  Smith 
Jonathan  Jenckes 
Silas  Smith 
Isaac  Taber 

Coventry* 
Abraham  Churchill 
Jr-h:i  Hawkins 
B.  H.  Blanchard 
Capt.  Israel  Bowen 
Divid  Gibbs 

John  Slater 
Miles  Bacon 

Archibald  Coldgrnve 
Richard  Waterman 

Augustus  Convers 
William  L.mgdon 

J-.-remiah  Fenner 

Benpimin  Almy 

Scituate. 

Eben.  D.  Washburn 

Isaac  Field,  Esq. 

Dr.  Ezekiel  Comstock 

W.  &  D.  Wright 

Joseph  E.  Dawlcy 

William  Fenner 

Jacob  Smith 

Giles  Greene 

William  Perry 
Nathaniel  Day 
Thankful  Baxter 
Abigail  Biackmarr 
Chad  Phetteplace 
Micah  Stearns 
Jonathan  Dexter,  Esq. 

Johnston. 

Henry  Randall 
Amos  Whitaker 
Calvin  Luther 
Gen.  Peter  Briggs 
STEPHEN  PLACE 

Joseph  S.  Grennell 

Cranston. 

BurrillviUe. 

William  Spencer 

Garner  Ballou 

Pawtuxet. 

Simon  Smith 

BELA  JACOBS 

Jerahmeel  Mowry 

William  Humphrys 

Henry  Rhodes 

Martin  Benson 

Daniel  Williams 

James  Rhodes,  Esq. 

John  Watson 

Elisha  P.  Smith 

Duty  Salisbury 

Peleg  Rhodes 

Andrew  Baliard 

John  Harris 

William  Rhodes 

Joseph  A  born 

Thomas  Slack 

Christopher  Rhode* 

Subscribers'  Names. 


Col.  Philip  Bump 

Samuel  Clark 

Christopher  O.  Arnold 

Joseph  Potter 

Job  Randal 

Richmond. 

Warwick. 

Perry  Watson 

Charles  Brayton 
M.    P.  Sha^v 

Hoplintoa. 

William  Bradford 

MATTHEW  STILLMAN 

Thomas  Telley 
Arnold  Soink 

Jeremiah  Thurston 
Joseph  Maxson 

Joseph  Hamilton 
Gideon  Hamilton 

Daniel  Babcock,  Esq. 
Fiiher  Metcalf 

Benjamin  Johnson 

Westerly. 

William  Hall 

Bowen  Babcock 

Jonathan  Capron 

r//__. 

Benjamin  Sweet 
John  Rice 
Joseph  F.  Arnold 
John  Gardner 
John  Allen 

tv  arren. 
LUTHER  BAKER 
Daniel  Salisbury 
Doct.  Daniel  Barrus 
Paschal  Allen 

DAVID  CURTIS 
Caleb  Spencer 
Isaac  S.  Holmes 

Peter  Carpenter,  Esq. 
Thomas  Ingraham 
James  Sisson.  Esq. 
Edward  Kelley 

East-  Greenwich. 

George  Marble 

Augustus  M.  Gardner 

o 

James  Driscol 

Nathan  Whiting 

William  Haile 

Dr.  Thos.  Tillinghast 

Col.  Benjamin  Cole 

Russell  Johnson 

Maj.  Caleb  Carr,  zd. 

West-  Greenwich. 

Barnard  Miller 

STEPHEN  ALLEN 

Jonathan  Luther 

Nerth-K'ngston. 
Peleg  W.  Spencer 
Thomas  Allen 
William  Taylor 

Henry  Luther 
Anna  Sanders 
Ebenezer  Cole 
Nathan  Child 

Samuel  Braytoil 
William  Lawton 
Benjamin  Fowler 

Samuel  Butter  worth 
Col.  Heze.  Boswoith 
James  Coffin 

Exeter. 

Col.  Seth  Peck 

Stephen  Dexter 

Jonathan  Smith 

William  Green 

John  Haile 

Jere.  G.  Northup 

Amos  Wright 

James  Claik 

Ann  Baker 

South-  Kingston 

Lydia  Cockran 

Daniel  Stanton 

Nathaniel  Estei  brooks 

Elisha  R.  Potter,  Mem- 

Ebenezer Winslow 

ber  of  Congress, 

Capt.  Her.ry  Nimmo 

J.  Waite  &  T.  Edwards 

Capt.  Miller  Barnev 

Fanning  Adams 

Capt.  John  T.  Child 

John  D.  Nichols 

Charles  Wheaton 

Nathan  Lillibtidge 

Capt.  John  Child 

Sands  Perkins 

F.  Sisson 

Barrington. 
Jimes  Bowea 
John  Martin 
Roby  KeJley 
Jonathan  1.  Drown 

Bristol. 

Dr.  Thomas  Nelson 
James  H.  Richmond 
Joseph  Peck 
Dr.  Lemuel  W.  Briggs 
Abner  Alden 

Portsmouth. 
Samuel  Clark 

Newport. 

JOHN  B.  GIBSON,  9 
Christopher  S.veet 
Benj.  B.  Mumford 
Stanford  Bell 
Francis  Anderson,  jr. 
Benjamin  Marble 
Green  Burroughs 
Eleazer  Trcvett 
Henry  G.  Cranston 
William  Tilley 
Benj.  H.  Pitman 
Clarke  Johnson 

Tiverton. 
JOB  BORDEN 
Jeremiah  Davenport* 

CONNECTICUT. 

Hartford. 

ELISHA  CUSHMAH 
Ephraim  Robins 
Gurdon  Robins 
A'zariah  S.  Fidding 
Joseph  B.  Gilbert 
Luther  Savage 
Caleb  Pond 
Joseph  Lynde 
Isaac  Sweatland 
William  Deming 
Benjamin  Fowler 
John  Wing 
Isaac  Bolles 
EV-enezer  Moore 
Caleb  Moore 
John  B-.lles 
Hez.  Huntington,Esq. 
Jeremiah  Brown 


*  Upwards  rf  five  hundred  subscribers  in  R.  I.  r\nd  Uic  aqji;inir.g  State* 
i^re  obtained  by  Mr.  Gecrgc  Dtxls,  of  I'rovidence. 


were 


Subscribers*  Names. 


Sujicld. 

Pi;t':::jicld* 

ASAHEL  MORSE,  2 

N.  Potcer 

Samuel  Hastings 

Ephrahn  Medbury 

David  King 

Caleb  Hall,  jr. 

Jsbfird. 

FREDERICK  WHITMAN 
AUGUSTUS  BOWLES 

All  >;n  ri  . 
Bvnvneil  Wilkinson 
Chester  F.i-k 
Bennett  Wheeler 

David  Boik'S,  Ebq. 

J\  r         i 

Abraham  Knosvit  m 
Joseph  P.  Corbin 

ames  Ma:  thews 
Arnold  Fenner 

JediJiah  Wentworth 

Sterling* 

William  Snell 

AMOS  Wh  LLS,  9 

Timothy  .-Mien 

JOSIAH  BKNNET 

Solomon  Ky<js 

John  Kinysa 

Wand  'lock. 

John  Douglas 

BIEL  LFD:.YT 

Lisbon  andPraton, 

Asa  Morse 

LEVI  KEAD 

Henry  Welles 

Amos  Read 

Thomas  Biobee 

Asel  Bottain 

O 

Calvin  Holofook 

Jair.es  Treat 

Amos  Ben.'iCt 

Thompson, 

£ 

PEARSON  CROSBY 

Stoning  on. 

Simeon  Allea 

JEDIDIAH  RANDALL 

Thomas  D  ty 

AsHfcX.   ->Il  ^  tR. 

James  Gregory 
James  Wheaton 

Danici  Mcach 
Elias  S.  Paimer 

Daniel  Putnam 

New-L'.ndon. 

Thomas,  Ormsby 

SAMUEL  WEST 

Smith  Phetteplace 

Nathaniel  Hairis,  jr. 

Isaac  Mason 

Samuel  Chappel 

Samuel  Knapp 

Jonathan  Si  sen 

Marcy  Wheaton 

Josiah  Koger 

Capt.  James  Brown 

Jeremiah  Tinker 

Pcmfret. 
Daniel  Fitts 

John  Harris 
Samuel  Coir 

James  Wheaton 
Robert  Baxter 

Pardon  Lewis 
Christo.  Manwaring 

Jerenaiah  Field 

S.  B.  C.  West 

Pardon  Kingsley 

Montville. 

Ephraim  Tucker 

David  Turner 

Capt.  Nathan  Paine 

Thomas  West 

Jason  Fish 

Alpheus  Rogers 

Mansfield. 

Matthew  Turner 

JONA.  GOODWIN,  jr. 

Jacob  Loomis 

Edmund  Freeman 

John  Loomis 

Artemas  Gurley 

GoJdard  Martemius 

Nathaniel  Bennet 

John  Darrow 

Eleazar  Wright 

Reuben  Palmer 

Asa  Bennet 

Caleb  Bolles 

William  Bennet 

Ebenezer  Rogers 

VOL.  .2. 

* 

Waterford. 
Hannah  Smith 
Braddick  "Jait 
Samuel  Fox 

Sayl;  cck. 

OLtVER.  WlLLSON 
W'l  LLIAM    WlTTtR. 

Cape.  Levi  Post. 
David  Williams 
Keuben  K-st 
Dr.  G.  A.  Dickinson 
Col.  Jo-t  pn  Hill 
J.  &  E.  Hayden 
S.imu*  1  Loomis 
J  ;.,iC  Murry 
EZIH  Wil'i^ms 
Saaiuei  Williams,  Esq. 

Lyme. 

ASA  WILCOX 
Christopher  Champlin 
Ao  1  Bewel 
~Ll  Loumis 


GEORCI 
James  Hart 
Capt.  ri"i:>thy  Savage 
Martha  Barns 
John  Bill 

EUsha  M.  Pomeroy 
Elr/.ur  Barns 
ENOCH  GREEN 
Calvin  Hall 
Abigail  Hamlin 
Benjamin  Brown 
Jonathan  Pratt 
William  Gilbert 
William  Ranney 

TrumbuU. 
William  Rowel 
John  Staples 
Jonathan  Beers- 
John  T.  French 
D.n'id  Sherwood 
Daniel  Gregory 
Benjamin  Tuiny 

Hungtington. 
Elizabeth  Wooster 
Col.  Agur  Judson 
Eiiakim  Edwards 


Subscribers9  Names: 


Fa'irftld. 
Robert  Wilson 
Maiy  Hays 
Robert  Knapp 
Amos  Wilson  - 
Lydia  Gregory 
David  Clark 
Nathaniel  Eells 

Weston. 

Betsy  Silliman 
David  Silliman 
Cyrus  Silliman 
Eli  Adams 

Ncwtown. 
John  Sherman,  2 
Richard  Bennet 
Alsom  Seelye 

Ne<w-  Canaan. 
Capt.  Stephen  Hoyt 
Stephen  Hayes 
Watts  Comstock 
Noah  Weed 
James  T.  Eells 
Benoni  St.  John 
Samuel  Raymond 
Joshua  B.  Cook 
Edward  Nash 
Ebenezer  Handford 
Samuel  Carter 

Stamford. 

FREDERICK  SMITH 
Elijah  Scofield 
William  Knapp 

In  many  t/i/erent  toii'r.t, 

Thomas  Grow 
Samuel  Crawford 
Ebenezer  Packer 
Jesse  Goodrich 
John  Stone 
Orin  Winchell 
SAMUEL  MILLER 
Aaron  Chapman 
Col.  Jeduthun  Cobb 
Frederick  Curtis 
Ireanus  Brown 
Salinda  Babcock 
Caleb  Madison 
Jesse  Dickerman 
RUFUS  BABCOCK,  2 
Peter  Spencer 


Ro SWELL  BURROWS      Roswell  Graves 


NEW-YORK. 


city. 

JOHN  STANFORD 
JOHN  WILLIAMS 
WM.  PARKINSON 
DANIEL  HALL 
ARCHIBALD  MACLAY 
CORNEL.  P.  WYCKOFV 
JOHN  SEGAR 
John  Tiebout,  1  8 
Joseph  W.  Griffiths 
John  Bedient 
Thomas  Garniss 
Ebenezer  Whitney 
Samuel  Freeman 
Robert  Edwards 
Samuel  V.  D.  Moore 
Thomas  Stokes 
John  Bo  wen 
George  Thompson 
Roger  Pigg 
Benj.  M.  Birdsall 
Stephen  Barker 
Peter  Conrey 
Nathaniel  Smith 
H.  Lee 
Benjamin  Pike 
Wm.  A.  Fenning 
Rebecca  Moon 
James  Hall 
Abraham  Baudouine 
Henry  Carr 
John  Mayo 
Josephus  Hewett 
Robert  Pitcaithly 
Jonathan  Withington 
Monmouth  H.  Guion 
Kimberly  Tryon 
Betsy  Moulton 
William  W.  Todd 
Rosanna  Cocks 
Benjamin  Freeman 
Moses  Frazyor 
F.  D.  Allen 
M.  B.  Lyon 
Elijah  Lewis 
Edward  Probyn 
John  H.  Harrison 
James  Duffie 


Mount- Pleas  ant. 
STEPHENS.  NELSON,  9 

Warwick. 

LEBBEUS  LATHROJ 
James  Burt,  Esq. 
John  M.  Fought 
Benj.  Barney,  Esq. 
Azariah  Ketcham 
James  Benedict,  Esq. 
Daniel  Sawyer 
Jeremiah  Morehouse 
Jeffrey  Wiesner,  Esq. 
Henry  B.  Wiesner 
Joel  Wheeler 

Pleasant  Valley. 
LEVI  HALL,  9 

Northeast  Town. 
Philo  M.  Winchell 
James  Winchell 
John  Buttolph 
Martin  E.  Winchell 
Martin  Lawrence 

Poughieepsie. 
Col.  James  Tallmadge 
Col.Jas.Tallmadge.jr. 
William  Plummer 
David  Williams,  12 

Catsklll. 
John  M.  Peck 
Hiland  Hall 
Nath.  Jacobs,  ir. 
Chloe  Fox 

Hud  ton. 
HERVEY  JENKS,  9 

Rcnsellasrvilk. 
EPHR.AIM  CROCKFR 
Jonathan  Barret 
Henry  Niles 

Durham. 

HERMAN  HERVEY 
John  Cleveland 
Stephen  Jones 

Troy. 

Edward  Tylee,  Esq.  9 
Silas  Corel,  9 

Granville. 

Samuel  Rowley,  2 


Subscribers9  Names. 


Dr.  Leonard  Gibbs 
Samuel  Everts 
Levi  Everts 
George  Darby 
Amos  Utter,  jr. 

ESSEX-COUNTY, 
on  Late  Cbamplain. 

KINNKR  NEWCOMB 
SOLOMON  BROWN 
Asa  Putnam 
Cyrus  Call 
Abel  Bingham 
Ely  Stone 
Stephen  Baker 
Amos  Smith 
Nathan  Smith 
Joseph  Jenks 
Uriah  Palmer 

Northampton- 
AARON  SEAMASS,  9 

Bristol 
SOLOMON  GOODALL,  9 

Whitestown. 
CALEB  DOUGLASS,  iz 
Asher  Whitmore 
Jephtha  Brainard 
Sally  Douglas 
Daniel  Ashley 
David  F.  Simmons 
George  Doolitde 
Oliver  Prescott 
B.  S.  Walcott,  Utica 


JOHN  PECK 
JOSEPH  COOLEY 
Noble  S.  Johnson,  24 
John  Goodell 
Benjamin  Virgill 
Wm.  Card,  Esq. 
Luther  Corbin 
William  Sims 
Dea.  Warner  Goodell 
Joseph  Sweet 
Eliphalet  M.  Spencer 
Samuel  Corbin 
Archibald  Bates 
Isaac  Morse 
Nathaniel  Carpenter 
Smith  Dunham 


German, 
JOHN  LAWTON 
Hon.  Eben.  Waklee 
Capt.  Joseph  Sterling 
Edward  Southworth 
Harvey  Smith 
Truman  Fairchild 
John  Southworth 
John  Selden 
Edward  Tiffany 
Caleb  Burlingame 
Josiah  Frisbee 
John  I.  Dorr 
John  Salisbury 
Solomon  Bragg 
Joshua  Eaton,  Esq. 
Jacob  Delano 
Benjamin  Lamphear 
Winthrop  Corbin 
Theodore  S.  Cady 

Homer. 

ALFRED  BENNET 
Hon.  John  Keep 
Capt.  Benajah  Tubbs 
Sullivan  Farrar 
Asahel  Minor,  Esq. 

Pompey. 

FREDERICK  FREEMAN 
JAMES  WHEELER 
Nathan  Baker 
Benj.  Coates,  jr. 
Maj.  Daniel  Allea 
David  Sweet 
Benjamin  Atwell 
Moses  Savage 
Isaiah  Dean 

Noriu'ich. 
Jonathan  Ferris 
Jacob  Grow 
Stephen  G.  Ferris 


CALVIN  HULBERT 
Maj.  Starling  Way 
Paul  Havens 
George  Sawin 

Hart  -wick, 
JOHN  BOSTWICK,  6 

Solon, 
Asa  Moss 
Capt.  Enos  Kickox 


Geo.  Strobridge,  E:^. 
Hon.  J.  Bingham 
Simon  Greenwood 

Cincinnatus. 
Maj.  James  Tanner 
Nathaniel  Spencer 
Ebenezer  Andress 
John  Hunt,  Esq. 
Joseph  R.  Wildman 
Aaron  Roots 
Elias  Blanchard 

Lisle. 

William  Lewis 
Benoni  Barret 
Azel  Bentley 
Jonathan  Lewis,  Esq. 
Cyril  Lawton 
Capt.  Nath.  Bos  worth 
Capt.  Luth.  Hartshorn 

Sherlurnc. 
Jacob  Rees 
Gideon  Colver 
John  Benton 
Dr.  James  Sheffield 

Nelson. 

James  Bacon 
William  Bradley 
Thomas  Swift 
Jeremiah  Clark 

Deruyter. 

Hon.  Hubbard  Smitk 
James  Coon 
James  Cartwright 

Manlius. 

Samuel  Edwards,  Esq. 
GERSHOM  BREED 

Hamilton. 

Hon.  Samuel  Payne 
Jona.  Olmstead,  Esq. 
Benjamin  Pierce,  Esq. 
Reuben  Tenney 
Joseph  Colwell 
Capt.  Isaac  Skinner 

Fabius. 

PETER.  P.  ROOTS 
Thomas  Keeney 
JOHN  UP FOLD 

Rome. 
Bill  Smith 
Parker  Halleck 


Subscribers'  Names, 


Lebteus  EMiot 
Palmyra. 

jEREMiAH   li(.ONS,    14 
Reiidcnt  in  m^ny  ij-wru. 

Isaac  Hul 

He  i  /  Ball 

Squi/t  iiartholomews 

JtHIFl    FOX 

Samuel  C.  Dickinson 
John  Ward 
Aaron  Thompson 
JacoS  B.i'WsUT 

L-IV  >. ::5  \V.:g!lt 

John  W.ir  • 
Joshua  L  Pmney 

•s  R'^eis 

l»jANASi,iH    FRFNCH 
JONATHAN  HASKELL 
Paul  Main 
Lodowick  Weaver 
H''nry  Weaver 
A*-.    I'ermy 
S lan  Jish  Miles 
Hi-2.EK.iAH  PF.TTIT 
PivJai.c'c;  Kelsy 
ORLANDO  MACK 

LtVl   fcb  K  tFTER 

\        .  Sve\\;irt 
li.t'i  Bixby 
Jr::td  Reynolds 
H«-ni->  Bull 
Solomon  Moore 
James  Drake 
JAMES  REYNOLDS 
Jolia  Tin'n-ook 
Peter  Mead 

ROSWELL  GCFF 


KEW-JERSEY. 

Newark. 

James  Vanderpcol 
Uriah  Burdge 
Stth  Woodruff 
Jahez  Pool 
David  Rogers 
Job  Bacorn 
John  Speer 
James  Jones 
Abel  Evans 
Edward  Jones 


Salem  Library  Gomp'y 

In  nt'jny  d'jfoent  truins. 

SAMUBL  I'ROTT 
JACOB  F.  RANDOLPH 
John  Bright 
JEN  KIN  DAVID 
Isaac  Mu'ftird 
Ephraim  Bacon 
David  Sheppard 
HENRY  SMALLET 
George  Compton 
Dar'cl  Manning 
Sarah  Cox 
JOHN  COOPER 
JOHN  BOGGS 
Francis  Donlevy 

PENNSYLVANIA. 
Philadelphia. 

WlLLIANlRoGi  RS,D.». 

HEN.  HOLCOMBE,!)  D. 
WM.STAUGHTON,  D.D, 
WILLIAM  WHITE 
JOHN  PtcKWORTH 
JOHN  HIWSON 
RICHARD  PROLDFOOT 
JOHN  KING 
Jsa'tah  Stratiort 
James  Clark 
Daniel  jamet 

Daniel  Kendickson        J°'jn  ^ox 
George  Crawford  Benjamin  Coles 

Dr.  Ezekiel  R.  Wilson  Thomas  Shields 
SucyHazelton  George  Ingels 

Joseph  Keen 
Burhngt.n.  g       hfin  Beas, 

BURGIS  ALLISON,  D  D 


Charles  Hedenberg 
Moses  Mourrous 

Scotch  Plains. 
THOMAS   BROWN 
Join-  B.  Usborn 
Dennis  Coles 
J  ;hn  W'lson,  Esq. 
Capt.  J  'iiu  Darby 
Cap*    David  Obbotn 
Samuel  B.  I..;iller 
Isaac  Manning 

Flaungton. 
J.  F.  Bl.tckvveil,  Esq. 

CH.  \RLLsBARTOLETTE 

N.v.haniei  Heggias 
Jrhn  Kunyan 
John  Carr 
Capr.  J   8.  Manners 
Jobiah  Stout 

Ne-u-  Brunswick. 
JAMLS    MLAUGHLtK 

Hon.  Asa  Kunyan,  9 
Richard  Lupardus 


PETER  WILSUN 
Dr.  Encch  Wilson 
Andrew  Jr'errine 
Thomas  Allen 


Stephen  C.  Ustick,  6 

Salem. 

JOSEPH  SHEPPARD 
DANIHL  SHEPPARD 
John  Walker 
Abraham  Harris 
Col.  R.  G.  Johnson 
David  Sheppard,  M.  D. 
Debzil  Keasbey 
Joseph  Loyd 
James  Johnson 
Thomas  Guest 
William  Paulin 
Temperance  Smith 


Capt.  Joseph  Reynolds 
John  Miles 
Amos  Thomas 
P.  Mcndenhall 
Benjamin  Thaw 
Levi  Garrett,  Esq. 
William  Moulder, 
Joseph  Moulder 
William  Britton 
John  Bradley 
A.  Khees 
Catharine  Loxley 
Edward  Thomas 
John  Lowe 
Joseph  Smith 


Subscribers1  Names. 


Hannah  Rambo 
Christopher  Appleton 
Adam  Corfield 
Samson  Davis 
William  P.  Hansell 
J,ired  Sexton 
George  Helmbold 
John  Deighton 
John  M*Leod 
Thomas  Dobson,  2 
Jesse  MWer 
Joseph  Maylin 
Philip  Jones 
Samuel  Bncknall 
James  Bucknall 
John  Dainty 
Thomas  Lynch 
William  Stern 
John  Sisty 
John  Lawrence 
Jonathan  Harpham 
S.irah  Graham 
John  Gregory 
Joseph  Done 
John  Mitchell 
John  M'Leod,  jr. 

E.  Spangler 
Jonathan  Smith 
Win.  F  Van  Beek 
Matthew  Randall 
Edward  Mitchell 
William  Renshaw 
James  H.  Page 
Joseph  BarnLurst 
Edward  Boden 
Robert  Leak 
Philip  Tuchett 

F.  D.  Seelporot 
Joseph  Courtney 
George  W.  Hough 
Edward  Melsom 
James  Redman 
Lewis  Warrall 
Abraham  Davis 
Margaret  Batchelor 
Mary  Walker 
Jeremiah  Hand 
Catharine  Davis 
James  Morgan 
Elijah  Griffiths 
James  Clark 
Joseph  Compton 


Enoch  Wright 
John  Davis 
Misgrovc  Willis 
David  George 
George  Smith 
Samuel  Bower 
Joseph  Vaneman 
Tao:nas  Timings 
Isaac  Johnson 
John  M.  Michell 
Edmund  Miln 
George  Grant 
William  Henly 
Wiliiam  Warren 
Jpremiah  Lupton 
Henry  Charles 
James  Etris 
John  Patterson 
Thomas  Bleyler 
Isaac  Deacon 
Joseph  Taylor 
Cornelius  Trimnel,  2 
Samuel  Huggins 
Christopher  M' Jones 
Nathan  Wightman 
Joseph  Thomas,  M.D. 
Samuel  Weasy 
Franklin  Lee 
David  Snider 
Benjamin  Bond 
Paris  Davis 
Eli  Wiley 
Jesse  Shellmyer 
Ann  Taylor 
Christiana  Bower 
James  Wiley 
Eli  Garrison 
Garret  Winter 
David  White  man 
John  Collard 
Eiizab.  Wickersham 
Mary  Hough 
Joseph  Lawrence 
Mary  M'Allister 
Conrad  Reakict 
William  Terry 
Hannah  Smith 
James  Holme 
John  Adams 
Clarissa  F.  Regnault 
John  Owen 
Thomas  Roberts 


Sarah  Normaa 
Joseph  Norman 
John  Dayton 

Merlon. 

Chas.  Thompson, 
Seer,  to  the  \  tt  Congrcit. 

Marcus'  Hook. 
Hon.  Richard  Riley 

Roxborough. 
HORATIO  G.  JONES 
THOMAS   FLBES.-N 
Sarah  Levering 
John  Phillips 
John  Holget 
Charles  Levering 
William  Dehaven. 
Francis  Sheets 
George  Betierton 
Peter  Gilchnst 
John  Cornog 

Lower  Dublin. 
SAMUEL  JONES,  D.». 
Thomas  Holmes 
William  Bartlett 
John  Watts,  jun. 
Richard  Burk 
William  Maghee 
John  Keen 
Benjamin  Page 
Joshua  Jones 

Great  Valley. 
David  Phillips 
Isaac  Abraham, 
Abraham  King 
Samuel  King 
Daniel  Abraham 
Michael  M'Ciees 
Enoch  Jones 
Thomas  Davis 
William  Lawrence 
James  Abraham 
Catharine  Moore 
Jacob  Engles 
John  Eastburn 
Isaac  Moore 
Phmehas  Phillips 
Samuel  George 
Samuel  Eastburn 
Nathaniel  Miles 


Subscribers9  Names. 


Montgomery  County. 
SILAS  HOUGH,  2 
Charles  Humphrey 
William  Collom 
Owen  Jenkins 
Levi  Jenkins 
Hannah  Evans 

Hilltown. 

JOSEFH  MATHIAS 
Samuel  Heath 
William  H.  Rowland 
John  Mathias 
Griffith  Jones 

Sucks  County. 
John  Pugh,  Esq. 
William  Watts,  Esq. 
Enos  Morris,  Esq. 
Amelia  Morris 
Col.  John  Hines 
John  Hough 
.Evan  James 
Edward  Mathew 

Beulah. 
TIMOTHY  DAVIS,  6 

Washington  County. 
David  Shields 
MATTHIAS  Lus» 
H.  Wilson 
James  Reed 
William  Rush 
H.  Medonoch,  Esq. 
Jean  Greenlee 
Hugh  Jennings 
Mary  Ken 
Lydia  Pennock 
Christopher  Andover 

In  otlcr  parts  of  tit  State. 

Samuel  Rees,  Esq. 
Isaac  Morris 
Philip  Miller 
Wm.  Williams,  M.  n. 
William  Johnson 
Elizabeth  Davis 
Jonathan  Yerks 
Simeon  Matthew 
Dr.  Erasmus  Thomas 
Dr.  David  Thomas 
Sarah  Whining 
John  Powel 
Jacob  Humphrey 


Ann  Welsh 
Thomas  Baldwin 
David  Whitten 
George  Sims 
Wm.  Griffith 
Roger  Watkins 
Jas.  M.  Gibbias,  Esq. 

Lycoming  County. 
THOMAS  SMILEY 

Mr,  Smilfy  obtained  tie  fol- 
lowing subscribers)  living  in 
Penntylvania. 

Dennet  &  Watson 
John  Farnsworlh 
James  Moore 
Benjamin  Vastine 
Abuer  Johnson 
Henry  Clark 
Mordecai  M'Kay 
John  Oakes 
Charles  Saxton,  Esq. 
William  Thomas 
Christopher  Johnson 
Seth  M'Cormick 


Salisbury. 

JOHN  ROUNDS,  1 1 
John  R.  Robinson,  reti- 

denc:  not  known. 


DELAWARE. 

Wilmington. 
DANIEL  DODGE 
Robert  Potter,  3 

Kent  County. 
Andrew  Nandane 
John  Wilds 
JAMES  JONES 
Abel  Jones 
Thomas  Foster 
Simon  Kollock,  2 

Welsh  Tract. 
GIDEON  FERRJLL,  6 

In  different  towns. 

CALDWELL  WINDSOR 
Joseph  H.  Raymond 
John  Bennet 
Joseph  Vogels 

MARYLAND. 

Baltimore. 

L.  RICHARDSON,  10 
JOHN  HEADEY,  3 


VIRGINIA. 

Moorsfield. 
JEREMIAH  MOORE,  36 

Toe  following  Hit  of  lulicr'ib- 
ers  teat  returned  lv  'Thomas 
Buck,  E;q.  of  Belie  Air, 
Frederick  County,  flutes  of 
residence  not  known. 

Thomas  Buck,  Esq. 
William  C.  Buck 
James  Sowers 
Gregory  Glassccck 
Samuel  O.  Hendren 
George  Green 
Stephen  Davis 
John  M'Pherson 
John  Kerfoot 
Edward  Turner 
Amos  Kingore 
Daniel  Sowers,  jr. 
Anderson  Moffett 
George  Briuan 
John  Wood 
Samuel  Harshbargor 
David  Musselman 
Isaac  Strickler 
Samuel  Skelton 
John  Fristoe 
Isaac  Skelton 
Daniel  Beaver 
Jacob  M'Kay,  jr. 
James  Mitchell 
Robert  Hendren 
Wm.  B.  Almond,  9 
Robert  Lewright 
Thomas  Buck,  jr. 
Ezekiel  Harrison 
Aaron  Solomon 
Davis  &  Herring 
John  B.  Moses 
David  Kauffman 
Richard  P.  Fletcher 
Benjamin  Harrison,  jr. 
George  Dow 
John  Broch 
J.  &  J.  Bywaters 
David  Bumfield 


Subscribers*  Names. 


Margaret  Thomas 

Matthew  Clay 

James  Dupuy,  Es^. 

John  Lincoln 

G.  Wood 

Dabney  Morris 

Samuel  Drake 

Thomas  Gregory 

John  Phillips 

Richmond 

Peter  Clark 

Joieph  Yarboroagh 

WILLIAM  BRAMB 

T  O  H  N   13  R  I  C  E 

Martha  Beasley 
Edmund  Lockett 

Amey  Petross 
Yv'Tiiam  Winston 

Jacob  Grigg 
Jonathan  Watkins 
George  Greenhow 

Daniel  Halcher 
Thomas  Lafon 
Jordan  Martin 
Leonard  Munnally 

Melchizec.ee  Branie 
Reuben  Rickett 
JONATHAN  TCMPLI 
GEORGE  NORRIS 

Norfott. 

Edmund  Goode 

Samuel  Brown 

JEREMIAH  RITTER. 
JAMSS  MITCHELL 
SMITH  SHEARWOOD,  2 

Amelia  County. 
John  Skurry 
Zacharias  G.  Leigh 

James  Curtis 
NORTH-CAROLINA. 

Gloucester  Co. 
Wm.  Johnston 
Wm.  Hall 
James  M.  Vaughan 
Matthews  Co. 
Salathiel  Fitchett 

O 

William  Dearen 
Anthony  Foster 
William  Farley 
John  Walden 
William  Leigh 
Cheadle  Burch 

Halifax. 
JESSE  RE  tu,  30 

Bertie  Co. 
AARON  SPIVEY,  9 
JAMES  RUTLAND 

JT  T 

George  Lewis 
Thomas  Williams 
Thomas  Hudgen 
Wm.  Bokannon 

John  Jeter 
John  L.  Townes 

Lancaster  County. 

ames  House 
Thomas  Sutton 
James  Ward 
Daniel  Smith 

Wm.  Elliott 

S.  L.  Straughan,  5 

Martin  Co. 

H.  Hugins 

Giles  Eubank 

JOSEPH  BIGGS,  9 

Hanover  Co» 

Thomas  Taylor 

Josephus  Moore 

Josiah  Carter 

Rawleigh  Dunaway 

Burr  Onterbridga 

Wm.  Clark 
Anderson  Grubbs 

Eppa  Norris 
Brooke  County. 

Northampton  Co. 
JAMES  WRIGHT 

Joha  Simms 

JOHN  PRITCHARD 

Samuel  Barker 

Southampton  Co. 

John  Morgan 

Wm.  E.  Moore,  Es^. 

JACOB  DARDEN 

Joseph  Hedge 

Jesse  Moore 

HENRY  JONES 

Daniel  Roberts 

Carteret  Ca. 

Dr.  C.  Bowers 

John  Brown,  Esq. 

JABEZ  WEARS 

Simon  Murfee 

Nicholas  Headington 

Col.  John  Roberts 

Benjamin  Griffin 

Benjamin  Foster 

David  Ward,  Esq. 

Richard  Murfee 

Resident  in  d\Jfereni  counties. 

Richard  Canady 

ROBERT  MURRELL 
Richard  P.  Clemmens 
Rich.  B.  Kelbw,  Esq. 

Jonathan  Healy 
Joseph  Billups 
Joseph  Sanders 

Wilihey  Free  COL: 
Edward  Bill 
Robert  Sabistoa 

Chesterfield  Comfy  .  . 
ELEAZAR  CLAY,    2 

Lawson  S.  Holland 
Thorn  is  Oliver 

David  Bill 
Cornelius  Canady 

Thomas  Burfbot 

Jonathan  Ray 

Nerjo-Hawvir  Cit. 

Archer  Traylor 

Jacob  Phillips 

James  Larkir.i 

Peter  G'rH 

BF.VERLY  BOOT  H 

Joshua  Penny 

Joseph  Gill 

J  -hn  B.  Lane 

Jones  Larkir.i 

John  T.  Belcher 

Wm.  Holloway 

Major  Clark 

Allen  Wbdworth 

Jonathan  Jones,  Esq. 

Solomon  Beesley 

Samuel  Clay 

T.  Williamson,  Esq. 

Major  Manniopj 

Fhinelus  Clay 

NAT.  CHAMSLSSS 

Abraham  B&^'&Y 

Subscribers'  Names. 


Samuel 
Aaron  Larkins 

Oithiv  Co. 

JOHN    GORNTO 

D.iv'id  Ward 
Elijah  Simmons 
Daniel  Norron 

Edgecombe  Co. 
JOSHUA  LAWRENCE 
Wilkinson  Makey 
David  Powel 
William  Daney 

Alexander  T 

James  L.  Battle 
Elizabeth  Fork 
Jethro  Battle 
Jesse  Andrews 
Alfred  L.  Battle 
Joseph  S .  Battle 
Andrews  Battle 
Samuel  Sparks 
Thomas  Manning 
Jonah  Horn 
Ann  Koss 
Benjamin  Barns 
Frederick  Phillips 
Charles  Coleman 
William  Simms 
Thomas  Guion,  9 
Col,  William  Balfour 
Albrigston  Jones 
Dickens  &  Lyons 

Duplin  Co. 
JOB  THIGPIN 
BENJAMIN  DAVIS,  10 
Jonathan  Thomas 
James  Raphal 
Arthur  Murray 

Moore  Co. 

Bryon  Boroughs,  Esq. 
Cornelius  Dond,  Esq. 
Mark  Phillips 
Eli  Sowler 
Cornelius  Child 
William  Waddol,  Esq. 
David  Kennady,  Esq. 
Archibald  Meniell 

Montgomery  Co. 
BENNBT  SOLOMON 
IGNATIVS  WEST 


J.  Culpepper 
Joel  Wilson 
William  Kendall,  Esq. 
J  >nn  Macbary 
Abraham  Cockran 
Adam  Semmons 
Elias  Deacon 
Seth  WnJiams 
Lias  Biilingsly  Esq. 
Benjamin  Daniel 
Thomas  Wear 

Greene  Co. 
Joshua  Barnes,  9 

Cos 'well  Co. 
DAVID  LAWSOV 
BARZILLAI  GRAVES 
J(*thro  Brown,  Esq. 
John  Landers 
Josiah  Womack 
William  Moore 
Maj   John  Brown 
Capt.  W.  Timberlake 
Charles  L.  Hunter 
Ll'j  ih  Witliers 
Rachel  Christie 

Roci'mglam  Co. 
GEORGE  ROBERTS 
Col.  Nathan  Scales 
Martin  Wright,  Esq. 
John  Everet 
William  Smith 
Maj.  Will  Betheli 
Menan  Mills 
Capt.  Philemon  Neal 
Leonard  Carney 
THOMAS  MOORE 
Capt.  John  Atkins 
James  Sepple 
John  Morehcad,  Esq. 
Daniel  W.  Pounds 
Richard  Stubblefield 

Gullford  Co. 
Joshua  Lee 
Reuben  Dear 
Benjamin  Suddith 
Jeremiah  Pitchett 
Hubbard  Peoples 
John  Coleman 

Triton   Co. 
JOEL  GULLEDGE 


DANIEL  GOLD 
Samuel  S.  Jacksom 
John  Grady 
Charles  Vivion 
Dudley  Wnli;inis 
John  Williams 

RuTvan  Co. 
GEORGE   POPE 
William  Wright 
Isaac  O-Jcil 
William  Raper 
Jvj.ei  Tea  gee 
Charles  Pope 
Salomon  Davis 
Ey.ekiel   I'eagee 
fiftrnabas  Odol 
Joshua  Willson 
Isaac  Wiseman 
Josiah  Wiseman 
Charles  Pickett 
Solomon  Farringtoa 
Jacob  Teateee 
Samue-  Fairmgton 
William  Thompson 
Moses  Perkins 

Rutherford   Co. 
BERRYMAN  HICKS,  22 
DRURY   ROBBINS,  12 
James  Doyle 

Buncomb   Co. 
HUMPHREY   POSEY,  5 
STEPHEN  MORGAN 
George  Swain,  Esq. 
Burdet  Sams 
Garret  Deweese,  Esq. 
Ambrose  Stitton 
Thomas  M'Clure,Esq. 
James  M'Brayer,  Esq. 
James  Whitaker,  Esq. 
i.zekiel  Goforth 
Joshua  Whitaker 
David  Rymer 
Joseph  Welsh 
James  Smith 
John  Wi throw 
Samuel  Smith 
Ann  Ash  worth 

RtiiJent  In  different  count  lei. 

John  Sikes 
Bryan  M'Cabs 


Subscribers'  Names. 


Joseph  Thomas 
Edwin  Barnes 
Granbury  Baggett 
AMARIAH  BIGGS 
Wiiliam  Brown 
Geo.  Dismucks,  Esq. 
Thomas  Waddal,  Esq. 
Richard  Stanford 
Henry  Bunch 
Archibald  Meniell 
Jacob  Higgs 
Thomas  Dean 
Benjamin  Jenkins 


J.  E.  M'lver,  Esq. 
P.  Eclvva-ds 
George  Wilds 
Edw.ird  Edwards 
J.  F.  Wskon 
Elizabeth  M'ColIough 
liilcrbe 


SOUTH.CAROLINA. 

Charleston. 

RlCH'DFuRMAN,l).D.  2 

Wood  Furman 
Rich'd  B.  Furman,M.D. 
James  Harper 
John  West 
Isaac  Gill 

David  Adams,  Esq.  2 
Col.  William  Rouse 
William  Fuller 
George  Gibbs,  Esq. 
Joseph  Yates 
John  Gardner 
Catiiarine  A.  Yoer 
Edward  G.  Sass 
Frances  Righton 
Mrs,  E.  Elliott 
Sarah  Bird 
William  Inglesby 
Leacraft  Evans 
Thomas  Harper 

Georgetown. 
EDMUND  BOTSFORD,  \z 

Darlington  District. 
DANIEL   WHITE 
JOHN   ELLIS 
Samuel  Evans 
Evander  M'lver 
John  Kirvin 
Wiiliam  Kirvin 
Martin  Dewitt 
Samuel  Norwood 
John  Smith 
James  Coleson 
John  Sanders 
VOL.   2. 


Alexander  Sparks 
John  C.  Sm  ( 
Churles  M.  Dewitt 
John  K.  M-lver 

Beaufort. 

WM.  T.  BRANTLEY 
Thomas  Gillison,  Esq. 
Thomas  Fuller 
T.  M.  Hughes 
Josiah  Bedon 
Elizabeth  Tripp 
Lydia  Turner 

Coosawbatc/jie. 
Isaac  Nichols 
Charles  J.  Jenkins,Esq. 
Joseph  Brian 
Abraham  Mixon 
Edmund  Smart 
James  Forrister 
Amos  Smart 
Levi  Wooren 
Joseph  Rogers 
Robert  I.  Chisolm 
John  Miller 
Jacob  Johnston 
William  Harrod 
Naaman  Smart 
Margaret  Moore 
Frederick  I.  Johnson 
Benjamin  Crews 
Francis  Dickinson 
William  Bowers 
Kill  is  Halford 
Jacob  Stevens 
John  R.  Searson 

Edgefcld  District. 
AMOS  DCTBOSE 
John  Chiles 
John  Adams 
Garrett  Longmire 
Jacob  Hibler 
Gabriel  Williams 


Edmund  Belcher 
Sylvaniis  Adams 
Charnal  H.  Thorn 
Joshua  Thorn 
Jacob  Zinn 
William  Chiles 
John  Tairance 
Benjamin  Hightower 
R.  M.  Williams 
Levi  D.  Wigfall 
Matthew  Minns 
ArmsteaJ  Burt 
Janus  Sanders 
Dr.  Edm'd  Cartledge 

Jofitf    BOYD 

Eiibha  Palmore 
Thomas  Mereweather 
David  Boazeman 
Dr.  John  Bu^ll 
Ozias  Morgan 
Deney  Bassey 
John  Middleton 
Drury  Mims,  jr. 
Briton  Mims 
Samuel  Roper 
Nicholas  Fox 
Martin  Palmer 
James  Bullock 
Charles  Hammond 
Charles  Bussey 
John  Wise 
William  Harden 
L.  Hammond 
John  Tolbiit 
Joshua  Kee 
Thomas  M.  Scott 
John  Swilliom 
Amelia  Ryan 
Moses  Medlock 
John  Ryan 
John  Lucas 
William  Smith 
Samuel  Walker 
Richard  Christmas 
Lewis  St.  John 
Nathan  Parker 
David  Donalson 
H.  Mitchell 
Frederick  Hill 
John  Baugh 
Edward  Martin 


Subscribers'  Names. 


Sunlury. 

CHARLES  O.  SCRETEN 
Peter  Winn 
Thomas  Bacon,  jr. 
Jonathan  Gauldin 
James  Smith 
Mary  M'Intnsh 


William  Hill 
Eugene  Brenan 
Sampson  Butler 
SAMUEL  MARSH 
STANMORE  BUTLER 
Eldred  Simkins 
David  Crawford 

Greenville  £s"  Abbeville 

Districts. 

BENJAMIN  NORTHCUT 
JOEL  E.  GRACE 
ARTHUR   WILLIAMS 
Ezekiel  Nash,  Esq. 
Nathaniel  Babor 
Thomas  Meiford 
LEWIS  RECTOR. 
Henry  Brockman 
Col  S.  I.  Alston 
Philemon  Bradford 
Hudson  Berry,  Esq. 
Major  William  Toaey  Lusha  walker 
Jonas  Edwards 
Richard  Harrison 
Robert  Benson 


Jfffcrscn  Co. 
John  Cowart 
Dr.  John  Powell 

Columbia  Co. 
JOHN  BLACKSTONE 
F.  M.  Hunt 
Beverly  Spivey 
Sarah  Moore 
Josiah  Magee 
John  Langston 


Spsrtanburgh  District. 
GEORGE  BREWTON 
Shands  Goligiidy 
John  Smith 
Daniel  W"  banks 
William  Uncervvood 
Benjamin  Bcarden 
Peter  Towns 
W.  Lancaster,  Esq. 
Thomas  Bomar  * 
John  Golightly 

Tori  District. 
William  Pettus 
Nathan  Green 
Noble  Bouldin 
Dr.  Sam'l  Henderson 
John  Kendrick 
Frederick  Dinkins 
Dr.  Stephen  Foz 

Chester  District, 
Dempsey  Winbourne 

GEORGIA. 

Savannah. 

WM.  B.  JOHNSON,  50 

Neiuington. 


Wm.  Cachary 

Wm.  Fuller 
Thos.  Parker 
Jonathan  Cliatt 
Geo.  Magruder 
Red.  Simms 
James  Golightly 
James  Foster 
[sham  Cliatt 

Richmond  Co. 
H.  W.  Hodges 
John  Purey 
William  Burton 
Thos.  H.  Dixon 
Andrew  Miller 
Bcnj.  S.  Screven 
Joshua  Whitaker 
Jesse  Fumphry 

Warren  Co. 
NORVELL  ROBERTSON 
WINDER  HILMAN 
Michael  Codey 
James   Smith 
Martha  Spiller 
Elijah  Stanford 
Hardin  Pruitt 
Solomon  Newsom 
Benjamin  Upton 
William  Faglie 
Jeremiah  Spurlin 


THOMAS POLHILL,  30  Seth  Cranberry 


Benjamin  Mitchell 
Isaiah  Tucker 
Mr.  Baker 

Clem  W          (tiltgille) 
Buckner  B:tss 
Henry  Hight 
Jethro  Darden,  juu. 
Mountain  Hiil 
Benjamin  Brantley 
Bradford  Butt 
James  Elliott 
Benjamin  Crenshaw 
Isaiah  T.  Irvin 
Henry  Harden 
David  Mims 
Michael  Moore 
Jolm  Rogers 
J.  Johnson 
J.  Cohron 
Robert  A.  Beall 
Solomon  Lockett 
Asa  Chapman 
Charles  C.  Mills 
Leonard  Steed 
Jacob  Smith 
Adam  Jones 
Collen  Fennell 
Jeremiah  Rees 
Theophilus  Hill 
James  Willis 
James  Harden 
William  Right 
Robert  Walton 
Henry  Gibson 
John  Wilson 

Hancock  C». 
Jarrad  Burch 
William  Rabun 
Isaac  Battle 
Thomas  Cooper 
Reuben  T.  Battle 
Jackson  S.  Davenport 
William  Cook 
Sally  Burch 
Henry  Champion 
Risdon  More 
Henry  Burley 
J.  Howell,  sen. 
J.  Howell,  j tin. 
John  Michael 
William  Byrum 
Simon  Harrell 
William  Battle 


Subscribers9  Names. 


John  Johnson 
Robert  Sims 
John  Henderson 
Nathaniel  Harril«- 
Allen  Pope 
John  A.  Lightfoot 
Thompson  Champion 
John  Veasey 
Benjamin  Brantley 
Moses  Powal 
Richard  Shep 
Allen  Roberts 
John  Hart 
James  Barnes 
Reuben  Ransom 
E.  Shackleford 
William  Martain 
Ariel  Bruce 
John  Slaughter 
William  C.  Johnson 
Walter  Hemmet 
Littlebury  Greshem 
Richard  Smith 
John  Thomas 
Joshua  Cook 
Joseph  Henry,  sen. 
L.  H.  Linch 
Jesse  Coleman 
James  Cook 
Hezekiah  Ellington 
Samuel  Howard 
James  Barrow,  2 
Eliza  Harris 
John  Trautmans 
Peter  Fair 
Eliza  Carter 
Eliza  Wilson 
Eliza  Allen 
Ann  Jarrett 
Mary  Bullinger 
William  Truman 
Benjamin  Hall 
William  Reives 
Joseph  Porter,  Esq. 
Thomas  Vickers 
Wm.  Curton,  Esq.  10 
BENJA.  THOMPSON,  10 

Baldwin  Co. 
James  Stills 
Francis  Bykin 

Wailnngton  Co. 
James  Gladden 
Lewis  Miller 


W  likes  Co. 
Aaron  Lepham 
John  Robertson 
Edward  Gresham 
Henry  Gibson 
Thomas  Wingfield 
John  W.  Butler 
Samuel  Wingfield 
John  Turner 
John  Lanson 
Joseph  Frost 
Joel  P.  Leverett 
Burrell  Greene 
James  Chivers 
John  M'Ginty 
D.miel  Slaton 
George  Smith 
Jacob  Tarvar,  jun. 
Nathaniel  Harris 
Miles  Dunkin 
Walter  Perry 
William  Davis,  10 
Thomas  Williamson 
Isaac  Callaway 
John  W.  Reviere 
Job  Callaway 
Nathaniel  Holtzclaw 
Solomon  Stephens 
David  Terrell 
George  Willis,  sen. 
Joseph  Callaway 
Peter  B.  Terrell 
James  Echols 
Barram  Callaway 
Enoch  Callaway 
William  Callaway 
Joseph  Henderson,  jr. 
Mager  Henderson 
Harris  Colleman 
Travis  Evritt 
John  H.  Milner 
William  Ash  more 

Greene  Co. 
JESSE  MERCER 
John  Mercer 
Hermon  Mercer 
John  Baxter 
Samuel  Brooks 
Daniel  Mercer  . 
William  Bools 
Francis  West 
Mr.  Thornton 
Elias  Bell 


Richard  Asbury 
William  Mirritt 
William  James 
Aronstia  Atkins 
EUsha  Hunter 
Joel  Forester 
John  AnJi\.>vs 
John  Vason 
John  T.  Slaughter 
E/ekiel  Veasey 
Jacob  Gore 
Richard  Paiker 
Edmund  Low 
Robert  Green 
O.  Porter 
William  Read 
John  Browning 
Archibald  Gresham 
Jonathan  Haralson 
Samuel  Baldwin 
William  Brawning 
Abner  Veasey 
Jonathan  Bickus 
Ross  Congers 
William  Greene 
John  Screll 

Ellen  Co. 
William  Barnitt,  10 

Oglcthcrpe  Co. 
Joel  Barnett 
James  H.  Ponder 
Isam  Goss 
Joseph  Embrey 
Robertson  Heudon 
Wiley  Sims 
G.  W.  O'Kclloy 
Malen  Dowdy 
Richard  Goolsby 
Isaac  DaviJ 
David  Theuman 
Richard  Fioyd 
Thomas  Glen 
Charles  Martin 
W.  Huell 
William 
James  Pye 
Malachi  Reves 

In  the  nitv  Counties. 
John  Johnson 
Frederick  Crowder 
Jesse  Purkins 
Taylor  Nelson 


James  Thomas 
Wii.iam  Fiamnoy 
William  Waiker,  /en 
E.ij.ih  Moseiy 
Skt'itr.n  Slandefer 
EC:  j.  WhiiefielJ,  sen. 
James  K  r.derson 
CJTUI  W. ;iu; 
Joi.n  Briefs 
Samuel  Maddoc 
William  Auglin 
Arrington  Peurifoy 
William  Ccx 
Randal  Peirce 
William  H.  Myles 
Presley  Dodson 
Joseph  Bevers 
Fran.  Flomnoy 
John  Callaway 
Philip  Grayhill 
Robert  Iverson 
Thomas  Roquemore 
John  Perry 
Wiiiiam  Taylor 
Peter  F«  Fiamnoy 
Franklin  Co. 

James  Smith 
JEdmund  King,  jr. 

FRANCIS  CALLAWAY 

Jonathan  Gibbs 

William  Mitchel 

Thomas  A.  Dobbs 

Joel  Yowel,  Esq. 

James  R.  Wiley,  Esq. 

Henry  Holcombe,Esq. 

Ciement  Walters 

Col   B.  Hollingsworth 

Capt.  James  Blair 

Burrell  Whitehead 

Major  Neelley  Dobson 

Joseph  Williams 

Capt  Benj.  Cleveland 

James  A.  Thomson 

Alexander  Neal 

Joseph  Chandler,  Esq. 

Capt.  William  Word 

John  Mullin,  Etq. 

Richard  Allen,  E$q. 

David  Barton 

Wyat  Lankford 

John  Warmick 
Lincoln  Co» 

John  H.  Walker 


Subscribers'  Names. 

Arnold  Zaellner 
W;iiiam  Moncrief 
.  James  Buys 

Put n  am  Co. 
Randal  Robertson 
Thomas  Lt-vrritt 
Diiiiel  H.  Z.ichary 

KENTUCKY. 
maJuon  Cour.fy. 
ANDREW  TR.EBBLB 

hen  Hancock 
Abraham  Lewis 
John  Moberly 
'1  hornas  Jarmon 
Evan  Watson 
John  Greenalsh 
John  Weagle 
William  Y;ties 
John  Morton 
John  Read 
Durret  White 
Edward  Brodns 
Lewis  H.  Gillispie 
James  Garrard 
Thomas  C.  Howard 
William  M'Clariahan 
William  k.  Ash  by 
Joshua  Hudson 
Thomas  i'odd 
John  Cosse 
Curtis  Field 

Garrard  Co. 
John  Bryant 
Nicholas  S.  Smith 
Achilles  Ballinger 
Isaac  Mayfieid 
John  B.  Potter 
Elias  Fisher 
Elijah  Williams 
William  Sterne 
John  Denten 
William  Davis 
Isaac  Mark'sberry 
John  A.  Lapsley 
Charles  Blancf 
Robert  Rcbinscn 
John  Arnold 
Robert  Burnsides 
Michael  Ray 
Spencer  Stone 
Joel  Noll 


William  Parks 
John  Floyd 


Co. 

Zaccheus  Carpenter 
^  M'Hatton. 


Shelly  Co. 
Lazarus  Wilcox 
John  Jones 
Elijah  Strut 
Hinson  Hobbs 
Edward  Tyler 
Edmund  Edwards 
Oswald  Thomas 
G.  Sharp 
Stephen  Drane 
Augustine  Webber 
William  Nciil 
James  Luttrell 
John  Gathrite 
John  Masierson 

Barren  Co. 
JACOB  LOCKE 
Peter  Thelkel 
Peier  Butler 
Lieut.  Wm.  D.  Harlow 
John  S.  Camp 
Moses  Cox 
John  Conlee 
Col.  Anthony  Butler 
ROBFRT  STOCKTON- 
RALPH  PETTY 
John  Rountree 
William  Rountree 
Aquila  Green 
B.  IX  Hendrick 
Richard  Garnett,  Esq. 
Daniel  Curd,  Esq. 
Capt.  R.  P.  Stecnburgan 
John  H.  B.irker 
William  Logan,  Esq. 
John  O.  Morrison 
William  Depp 
Hardin  Davis,  Esq. 
John  C.  Hall 
Hezekiah  Davidsoji 
JOHN  MURPHY 
JOHN  BAUGH 

Ji  HN  B.  LOUGAN 

John  Gor-dall 
Jordan  Glazebroolc 
Lewis  I.  Dood 
Hon.  Michael  W. 


Subscribers9  Names. 


WILLIAM  WARDER 

Elijah  Appgate 

WALTER  WARDER 

Thomas  Saunders 

Jane  Dodd 

William  May 

C.ipt.  Thomas  Wynn 

Joseph  Lewis 

Jo'nn  Grubbs 

Pai  menas  Briscoe 

Henry  Holeman 

Edward  Goodwin 

James  Clayton 

George  Saunders 

J«^hn  Whcaler 

Samuel  Anderson 

Pleasant  Emmerson 

Jn,hua  Hobbs 

Isaac  Renfro 

Micakay  Glasscock 

Capt.  James  Hall 

Rodolphus  Bracky 

James  Glass 

William  Clienawuh 

William  Meeds 

Elijah  King 

Levy  Blankenship 

John  Hawkins 

Frederick  Fort 

Jnseph  Hawkins 

John  Hervinton 

John  C.  Hinton 

William  Dennis 

Beall  Dorsey 

John  Yearly 

Enos  Keith 

Joseph  Taylor 

Thomas  M'Cartj 

Eus.  £.  Hall 

James  Caldwell 

Clement  Hitch 

Anthony  Varnan 

John  Warder 
Joseph  Warder,  jr. 
Frederick  Smith 

Scoll't  County. 
JAMES  SUGGETT 

William  Bowles 

JOHM  H.  FlCKLFN 

Stephen  Beauchap 

THOMAS  HENDERSON 
James  Johnson 

Nehon  Co. 

M.  Duvall 

MOSES  PIER  SON 

Jonathan  J.  Johnson 

Abner  King 

Jonathan  Davis 

Nicholas  Osborn 

A.  Sapp 

Samuel  Si;7imons 

T.  Craig 

Abner  Chaffin  . 

R.  Johnson 

William  Ktndall 

Levi  Craig 

Matthias  Wells 

James  Hammons 

John  Osborn 

Samuel  Whorton 

Samuel  Osborn,  jr. 

David  Carr 

B.  Fluerman 

Younger  Pitts 

Joseph  Pancake 

P.  Peak 

Tyre  Harris 

John  King 

James  Bruce 

T.  Alexander 

George  Atbin 

R.  Smith 

William  Sonds 

Jonathan  Rogers 

David  Duncan 

Joseph  Hokings 

Henry  Shoptaw 

Thomas  Waggoner 

Joseph  Ross 

F.  Denny 

William  Wells 

Joseph  Vance 

Daniel  Kennard 

Thomas  Bradley 

Patrick  M'Gee 

Thomas  Cobb 

John  Marity 

E.  Sherley 

.Elijah  Wigginton 

Joel  Martin 

N.  B.  Porter 

A.  Mothershead 

James  Dawson 

Jonathan  W.  Craig 

W.  Thraelcald 
E.  Shoit 
Thomas  Butler 
M.  Boulware 
ISAAC  MILLER. 
Isaac  Keller 
I.  Warfield 
T.  Marshall 
Jonathan  Swan 
Jonathan  Bartlett 
Richard  W.  Herndon 
I.  Gibbs 
W.  Suggett 

G  a! at  In,  an  J  ether  Countlei, 

JOHN  TAYLOR,  5 
EJeazer  Hedden 
Samuel  Sancleave 
William  Ford 
Thomas  F.  Rees 
Isaac  Forbis 
John  Coons 
John  Callaway 
Alan  M'Guire 
Enoch  Har.sbrough 
Thomas  Vandeveer 
Henry  Davidge 
William  Middieton 
Peter  Ftire 
WUliam  Neal 
Thomas  Craig 
John  Paul 
Isaac  Vauter 
Jesse  Connell 
David  Owen 
John  kistine 
Abraham  King 
Robert  Tomkins 
William  Webb,  jr. 
John  Ransdell 
John  H.  Morris 
Joel  Jackson 
Roberts  Sott 
John  Earner 
Reuben  Craig 
John  Arnold 
Jesse  Bryant 
Silas  M.  Noel 
Dudley  Mitchuw 
Earnest  F.  Martine 
Christopher  Wilson 
Moses  Scott 
Chichester  Matthews 


Subscribers'  Names. 


Cave  Johnson 
Widen  Sleet 
Jameson  Hawkins 
John  Ashbrook 
William  Whueaker 
Robert  Garnet 
Samuel  Bryan 
Joseph  M-Kike 
William  May 
William  Shurman 
Joseph  Keilur 
Rowland  Thomas 
James  Hacket 

Bo;n  Connty. 
Hugh  Steers 
Presley  Peck 
Jeremiah  Griffing 
MOSES  VICKER.S 
Daniel  Baldwin 
ROBERT  GARNETT 
William  Brady 
Reuben  Searcey 
John  Terrell 
John  Shaver 
William  Warrcll 
Lewis  Conner 
Abraham  Vcughan 
Benjamin  Cave 
JOHN  WATTS 
JAMfcs  DICKIN 
JOSHUA  LEATHERS 
William  Underhili 
Wiiiiam  Srnither 

OHIO. 

Piclaway  Plaint. 

J.  W.   LOOFBOROUGH 

Gershom  M.  Petters 

DeerfielJ. 

Peter  Jackson,  Esq. 
William  Baker 
Jacob  Nyce 

Union. 
Nathan  Cory 

Cbi'.icotfa. 
Abraham  Nickens 

Brush  Creek. 
CHARLES  B.  SMITH 
John  Rich 


Win.  Kirkpatrick 
Spencer  Records 

Hamilton  County. 
John  Ferris 
Caleb  German 
William  Thornell 
Baracha  Dunn 
David  Atherton,  Esq. 
Hon.  Oihniel  Looker 
David  Lee 
Thomas  Appleton 
John  Bouham 
William  Torrance 
James  Dickinson 
Wm.  J.  Carson 
Jarah  Markland 
Enoch  Everingham 
Wm.  T.  Cullum 

Butler  County. 
John  Ewing 
Josephus  Guard 
Cornelius  Hinsey 

Prtble   County. 
William  Milner 

Jefftrson  County. 
James  Tingley 
Jacob  Martin 
Mordecat  Cole 

Cincinnati. 

Mr.  Brown,  Booksel- 
ler, 20 

INDIANA  TERRITORY. 

Dearborn  County. 
EZRA  FERRIS 
Charles  Brasher 
Thomas  Townsend 
Elijah  Sparks 
Jesse  L.  Holeman 
Daniel  Lynn 
Benjamin  Pursell 
Wiiiiam  Renry 
Faust  Webb 
Hon.  Solo.  Manwaring 
James  Cloud 
Hazel  Koff 

Franklin  County. 
Doct.  John  Bradbourn 
John  Millholland 


James  Winchell 
Elijah  Eads 
Samuel  Cook 
Abraham  Lee 
John  Morris 
James  Roberts 
Alexander  Ogle 
Daniel  Cunningham 

Knox  County. 
Jarvis  Haseltori 
John  Brasehon 
William  Lathom 
William  Hargroves 
John  Laihom 
Coonrod  Lamastist 
Joseph  Whi tsides 
Timothy  Mayhall 
Ellender  Worrick 
James  Oglesby 
William  Hankes 
Elias  Roberts 
Thomas  Potter 
John  Mills 
Thomas  Spencer 
William  BJack 
James  Robertson 

East  Tennessee. 
RICHARD  WOOD 
Thomas  Hill,  9 
James  Wood 
Joseph  P.  Wood 
William  Wood 
John  Hatcher 
James  Bishop 
Rebecca  Kendersoa 
Spencer  Clark,  9 
Tanson  Grishom 
John  Lockhert 
Duke  Ambro 
Evans  Phelin 
August  Bowers 
Thomas  Welch 

Hawkins  County. 
David  Morrison 
William  Good 

Green  County. 
Giles  Parman 
George  Crosby 
John  Easterly,  Esq. 
Wiliam  Davis 


Subscribers1  Names. 


Philip  D.  M  irony 
William  Garrett 
Coleman  Smith,  Esq. 
Joseph  Hneley 
Seymour  Catching 
Peter  Biker 
Philip  Hale,  9 
Levi  Spencer 
William  Henderson 
John  Tryar 
Isaac  Nuruan 
'William  Dicksou 

Jefferson  Cwnty, 
Wm.  Horner 
Samuel  Carson 
David  Bylcr,  Esq. 
Aqu'.la  Lane,  Esq. 
William  White 
Ric'vard  White 
Samuel  Riggs 
CALEB  WITT 
John  Coltharp 
ISAAC 


Cocke  County. 
John  Smith 
Abraham  Fine 
Lidgard  Fine 
Evan  Morgan 
John  Netherton 
Peter  Hough 
F.  Wall 

Alexander  Smith 
Joseph  Hough 
Ezekiel  Campbell 
Peter  Fine 
Charles  T.  Porter,  3 
Abel  Giiliiind,  3 
W.  Ganite 
Joseph  Irvin 

C.irtcr    County. 
Daniel  Stover 

Washington  County. 
Solomon  Hendrick 

West  Tennessee. 
JAMES  WHITSETT 
Richard  Drury 
Wm.  Morton 
John  Leakey 
David  Clarke 
Daniel  Elum 


Jeremiah  E/ell 
Cander  M'Fadden 
2  HartwellSeet 
James  Scott 
Benjamin  Gambeil 
John  Goorich 
Balaam  N?wsom 
Zechariah  Poky 
John  D.  Fly 
C.  Thacher 
Cantrile  Bethel 
John  Wiseman 
Micajah  Holiis 
Nathan  Stancil 
Paton  Smith 
Isaac  Battle 
William  H.  Nance 
Isham  F.  Davis 
Stephen  Boothe 
Barkley  Martin 
John  Bosley 
John  William 
David  Hunter 
L.Kean  StWm.Metcalf 
Stfift  Muilin 
Dutton  Sweeten 
John  Davis 
Samuel  Johnson 
Andrew  Woods 
William  Jennings 
H.  &  J.  Holman 
Benjamin  Murrel 
Hugh  Gentry 
Hon.  Robert  C.  Foster 
Joshua  Conger 
Littleburg  Hugher 
James  Hill 
Matthew  Haley 
James  Bunson 
John  Daw 
Peter  Fugua 
Alex.  M-Minnamy 
Thomas  Rhodes 
Theophilus  Bass 
Christopher  Koonce 
William  Dukes 
John  W.  Lumpkin 
Daniel  Small 
Richard  Dfake 
Jephthah  Durham 
Thomas  Durham 
William  Smith 


John  Warren 
Thomas  Buckor 
John  T.  CooJ;sey 
i'homas  Durham,  sen. 
John  Borum 
Booker  Bradford 
Wm.  Larrence 
John  Gill 
Joshua  Lester 
James  Cross 
Benjamin  Belt 
Elijah  Cross 
Peter  Collins 
J.trnes  C.  Hodges 
George  Smith 
Ji^eniiah  Burns 
Timothy  Sugg 
Edotnnd  Sugg 
Hurbert  Sugg 
Wm.  Sugg 
Enoch  Arnold 
Thomas  Sugg 
Wm.  Thomas 
JosVaa  White 
Joseph  Phillips 
Wm.  Dickinson 
Jacob  White 
Edward  Saunders 
Meshach  Haila 
Andrew  I.ucus 
Wm.  Wallace 
Wm.  Gilbert 
Enoch  Cunningham 
Nathan  Williams 
Shadrach  Casey 
Alfred  Harris 
James  Reeves 
James  Waldrtp 
Joseph  Hill 
John  Hunter 
Solomon  Thomas 
Thomas  Starke 
Joseph  Hopkins 
Jesse  Puller 
John  Turner 
John  Carter 
Valentine  Flowers 
.  M.  Wole 
Daniel  Reeves 
Richard  Nuckles 
John  N.  Reed 
D.  Voug-hai 


Subscribers9  Names. 


Garner  M'Conico 
Wm.  Den-on 
Thomas  Walker 
Isaac  West 
Michael  Kinard 
James  Merritt 
Joel  Stevens 
John  Blackrnan 
Lewis  Stevens 
Samuel  She'burne 
Arthur  Fulyhurn 
Reuben  Dodson 
Henry  Walker 
Robert  P.  Currin 
John  H.  Clemm 
David  Caldwell 
James  Stewart 
Archer  Jordain,  Esq. 
Watson  Gentry 
John  D.  Hill 
Jsham  Evans 
Stephen  Childress 


Spencer  Buford,  Esq. 
Henry  Petty 
Elisha  Do.Lin 
Mary  Giddeans 
John  Farrar 
J.imes  Pu^h 
J  >hn  Williams 
John  Atkinson 
Dann  Hill 
Nathan  Ewing 
Jesse  Evans 
EBENEZCR  RICE 
Elizabeth  Williams 
Abram  Maury 
John  Kirk 
James  Buford 
Frances  Gholson 
Washington  Walker 
Benjamin  Wilks 
Lemuel  Prescott 
David  Rice 
William  Mitchell 


John  Spencer 
Thorn  is 

John  Thompson 
John  R. '.chard son 
John  Jone;> 
Thomas  Parker 
George  Dawson 
John  Record 
Robert  Rice 
David  Dickinson,  Esq. 
Edw?rd  Ragsdale 
JAMES  M-JAL:B 
JOSIAH  HORNE,    12 
Josiah  Fort,  2 
George  KinarJ 
Benjamin  Bugg 
Wm.  C.  Devercup 

Natchez. 
Wm.  Snodgrass 

New-Orleans. 
Saml.  H.  Stackhouse 


Vernon. 


The  following  names  were  received  too  late  to  be  inserted  in 
their  proper  places. 

Lltcbfield  (Maine.)  Monson.  VERMONT* 

HENRY   KENDALL,    4  Samuel  Munger 

additional  copies.  ^^  ^ 

MASSACHUSETTS.     ^IbridgeGerryDaniels  _          Guilfonl. 

TT  ,  Graftsn. 

Harvard.  ]Q^  ^ 

Jeremiah  Dyer  fi 

Colraiuc.  RHODE-ISLAND. 

GEORGE  WITHERELL, 

Faivtucket. 


LEWIS  ALLYN 
Peter  Briggs 

Marllorougb. 
MANSFIELD  BRUCE 


formerly  of  4 dams, 

additional  copies.          Moses 
JONATHAN  WILSON,  2 
John  Eudy 


NEW-YORK. 
Clinton,  GaciJa  Co. 
Silas  Sikes 


Subscribers  from  a  number  of  places  were  expected^  which 
have  not  been  received.  If  they  have  miscarried^  (which  may 
be  ascertained  by  examining  this  Ikt)  they  shall?  by  being  for- 
warded now,  receive  proper  attention. 


TY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

AT 

LOS  ANGELES 
LIBRARY 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

405  Hilgard  Avenue,  Los  Angeles,  CA  90024-1388 

Return  this  material  to  the  library 

from  which  it  was  borrowed. 


DISC 

MAS 


UJU. 


24139 


Form  L 

A-t, 


1978 


A    001431179    9 


